Cornwall Central High School

Cornwall Central High School
Cornwall Central High School
Address
	10 Dragon Drive; New Windsor, NY 12553
Coordinates	41°26′44″N 74°04′30″W / 41.44556°N 74.07500°W
Information
School type	Public, High school
School district	Cornwall Central School District
Principal	Dr. Frank Sheboy (Until January 7, 2013) ; Nancy Noonan (Interim; Until September 2013); Lynn Imperato (September 2013-
Staff	76
Grades	9-12
Enrollment	1,085 (2006)
• Grade 9	299
• Grade 10	292
• Grade 11	239
• Grade 12	255
Language	English
Campus size	50 acres (20 ha)
Campus type	rural
Color(s)	Green and white
Mascot	Dragon
Team name	Dragons
Communities served	Cornwall on Hudson; Cornwall; New Windsor (part); Woodbury (part)
Website	Cornwall Central High School

Cornwall Central High School is the high school serving the Cornwall Central School District in Orange County, New York. It draws students from portions of three towns: Cornwall, New Windsor, and Woodbury, as well as the village of Cornwall-on-Hudson. While it is in the New Windsor ZIP Code, it is located off NY 94 just inside the Cornwall town line.

History

Two of Cornwall's elementary schools (Willow Avenue and Cornwall-on-Hudson) and the current middle school have served as the district's high school in the past. However, by the late 1990s, with Cornwall's booming population, it was clear that a new building was necessary for the upper grades, and the district sought to build a new high school.

Attempts to site the school more centrally within the district near US 9W failed when opposition from a local community activist led to the defeat of a bond issue that would have funded the building. In 1999, voters approved $13 million for the current building (the state picked up the remainder).

Building

The current building by CannonDesign, completed in 2003 at a cost of $44.6 million, is the newest high school in Orange County. Its design, frequently compared to an airport terminal, connects two otherwise separate structures built into the 50 acre (20 ha) site's gentle slope with glass-enclosed overhead and ground-level walkways. There are five separate levels, totaling 208,000 square feet (18,720 m²) with a courtyard-like space in between the two. All interiors are painted predominantly white, adorned with student artwork and porcelain tile walls, and colorful accents on classroom floors.

The classroom corridors in the rear structure intersect the walkways at oblique angles, meant to echo (along with the steel latticework on the elevated walkways) the railroads in the region's history, particularly the nearby Moodna Viaduct, a spectacular trestle and local landmark depicted on a student painting above the entrance to the library.

The library and cafeteria are located on the uppermost level. Their windows flare outward, suggesting a control tower and taking in the ample views of the Hudson Highlands and Storm King Mountain available from the site. The main art room can be viewed through a glass wall adjacent to the main office, and has a separate gallery level. Also up front is an open commons area where students may eat and relax.

Not only does the current design allow for a maximum of 1,500 students, more than it currently holds, it can be easily expanded if the need arises at some point in the future. (Needs to be verified, woods and a large slope are to the only possible expansion areas.)

Campus

Surrounding the building are several athletic fields, tennis courts, a football field, and a track. Students have also started an organic garden on the grounds, with the help of a biology teacher.

As a condition of siting the school off a busy two-lane state highway, the school day begins and ends later than most other area high schools, from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., to limit the traffic impact on Route 94.

Notable alumni

Sports

2007/2008 Section 9 Titles:

Football
Boys Soccer
Girls Soccer
Girls Cross Country Running
Boys Cross Country Running
Girls Volleyball
Girls Basketball
Baseball
Boys and girls Track and Field
Wrestling

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "New York State School Report Card 2005-2006, Accountability and Overview Report for Cornwall Central High School" (PDF). (520 KiB), retrieved September 13, 2007.

External links

School website

41°26′44″N 74°04′30″W / 41.4455°N 74.0750°W / 41.4455; -74.0750

The Matt Mead Project Trailer on YouTube, including many scenes inside and outside the school building
Clubs on YouTube. A student presentation demonstrating how to start an after-school club.

[State_report_card-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "New York State School Report Card 2005-2006, Accountability and Overview Report for Cornwall Central High School" (PDF). (520 KiB), retrieved September 13, 2007.

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