Sagaponack Common School District
Address
400 Sagg Main Street
Sagaponack
, Suffolk County, New York
United States
District information
TypePublic
GradesK–3
Established1776 (1776)[1]
PresidentLauren Thayer[2]
Vice-presidentThomas Schultz[2]
SuperintendentJohn J. Finello[3]
Business administratorEileen Tuohy[3]
Governing agencyNew York State Education Department
Schools1
Budget$1,732,664 (2021–22)[4]
NCES District ID3625410[5]
District ID580910080000[6]
Students and staff
Students16 (2019–20)[6]
Teachers2.9 FTE (2019–20)[5]
Staff2.2 FTE (2019–20)[5]
Student–teacher ratio5.52 (2019–20)[5]
Other information
Websitesagaponackschool.org

Sagaponack Common School District is a public school district located in Sagaponack on Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York, United States. It is roughly co-extensive with the village of Sagaponack, which is part of the town of Southampton.[7]

The district operates one school, the Sagaponack School, serving grades K through 3.[6] Affectionally known as "the little red schoolhouse", the district had a total enrollment of 16 students for the 2019–2020 school year and 11 for 2021–22. It is believed to be one of the last remaining "one room" schoolhouses in America.[8][5] Students then complete their education at either the Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, or East Hampton schools.[9]

The school gets rave reviews from parents, whom cite its close community, excellent staffing, and extremely strong teacher to student ratio. The district's superintendent is John (Jay) Finello. He replaced the prior superintendent, Alan Van Cott, in July 2021.[10][11] Finello previously served as superintendent in three other Long Island districts – East Islip, Huntington, and Springs.[8][10]

Sagaponack is bordered by the Wainscott school district to the east, the Sag Harbor district to the north, and the Bridgehampton district to the west.[7]

History

Sagaponack was originally District 10, the easternmost school district in the town of Southampton in 1720.[1] The first schoolhouse, opened in 1776, was a one-story building on the site of Caleb Pierson's property on Sagg Main Street.[1] A second schoolhouse was described as standing "in the street between the two roads", and was later sold to a farm on the nearby Parsonage Lane, which in turn sold the building to the Wainscott School.[1] The current building was built in 1885 by John B. Hedges.[1] In 1920, a second room was added to the building, though it is still technically a one-room schoolhouse due to the second room's usage as a lunchroom and rainy day play area.[12]

The building is part of the Sagaponack Historic District, a collection of 131 buildings along Sagg Main Street listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[13]

An increase in enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the district to lease an additional classroom at the former Most Holy Trinity School in East Hampton.[14] The classroom housed the 2nd and 3rd grade classes for the 2020–2021 school year.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Our History". Sagaponack Common School District. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "District & Board". Sagaponack Common School District. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Mission Statement". Sagaponack Common School District. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
  4. ^ "Sagaponack Common School District 2021–2022 Budget" (PDF). Sagaponack Common School District. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Search for Public School Districts – District Detail for Sagaponack Common School District". National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Education Sciences. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c "Sagaponack Common School District". New York State Education Department. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Public Information Center". Town of Southampton. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  8. ^ a b c Sampson, Christine (June 23, 2021). "New Leadership at the Sagaponack School". The East Hampton Star. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  9. ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Sagaponack Common School District. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Ebert, Michael R. (September 30, 2021). "Long Island School Notebook: Students win in Clean Tech Competition". Newsday. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  11. ^ Sampson, Christine (March 23, 2021). "Two Schools, Two Superintendent Searches". The East Hampton Star. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
  12. ^ Aurichio, Andrea (September 25, 1977). "The Little School Carries On". The New York Times. Retrieved January 22, 2022.
  13. ^ Alison Cornish (June 1999). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Sagaponack Historic District". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. Retrieved 2010-02-20. See also: "Accompanying 33 photos".
  14. ^ Sampson, Christine (August 4, 2020). "Sagaponack School May Need More Space for Student Influx". The East Hampton Star. Retrieved January 20, 2022.

External links

Education in Suffolk County, New York
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