The City School District of New Rochelle is a public school district located in New Rochelle, New York. New Rochelle has one of the most extensive educational systems in Westchester County, comprising a high school, two middle schools, six elementary schools, and one pre-k through second grade Early Childhood Center. The district enrollment is 9,800+ students in 10 schools in grades Pre-K through 12th grade. The annual budget is $347,000,000+ in 2024-25, with a per-pupil expenditure of $19,000+.[1]
New Rochelle has also been named one of the "Best 100 Communities for Music Education" in the nation by the American Music Conference.[3] In 2007 the Westchester Arts Council presented the district with its "Arts Award for Education" in recognition of the City and school district’s extraordinary commitment to the arts.[4]
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New Rochelle was the scene of the first court-ordered school desegregation case in "the North" when the United States Supreme Court decided in 1962 that its Lincoln School boundaries had been intentionally drawn to create segregated elementary school districts. Lincoln School was closed and demolished in 1965, with students of that district allowed to attend other elementary schools in the city.[5] The school district is known for its diversity, and the high school honors civil rights leader Whitney Young in the name of its auditorium and civil rights martyr Michael Schwerner in the name of its library.
In May 1968, New Rochelle High School was partially destroyed by a fire set by a disturbed student. The fire occurred early in the morning and there were no fatalities. The facade of the school remained intact, allowing builders to construct a new building behind the original exterior.[6]
In 1981 four of the district's elementary schools were closed due to declining enrollment: Mayflower, Roosevelt, Barnard, and Stephenson. Their students were transferred to Ward, Davis, and Trinity elementary schools.[7]
Huguenot Academy Alternative Campus High School at 140 Huguenot Street, on the campus of Monroe College in New Rochelle. 61 students are currently enrolled there.
Albert Leonard Middle School - students from Daniel Webster Elementary School, George M. Davis Elementary School, and William B. Ward Elementary School
Isaac E. Young Middle School - students from Columbus Elementary School, Jefferson Elementary School, and Trinity Elementary School
New Rochelle High School Fire of 1968 (relates the story of the fire and its consequences with both text and an extensive collection of historic photographs)