About

The Schenectady City School District, with a population of nearly 10,000 students is one of the largest districts in the Capital Region.  The district includes eleven elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school and an adult and continuing education center.

About Us Brochure

The Schenectady City School District includes seventy-seven National Board Certified Teachers (NBCT), which is more than that of any other district in New York State with the exception of New York City.  Among our staff is the 2012 New York State Teacher of the Year and the 2016 ESSAA Outstanding Administrator of the Year.

Our district is structured with Pre-K through grade five elementary schools, 6-8 middle schools and one 9-12 high school.  Which elementary neighborhood school a child attends is based upon where he or she lives.  Each of our elementary schools feed directly to a middle school.  When families move into the district, they know where their child will attend school from elementary through high school.

All of Schenectady's school are filled with rich culture and diversity with students who speak more than thirty different languages.  We are committed to providing an environment in which all children feel valued, are safe and will learn.  Students not only learn to value and respect people of all races, backgrounds and cultures, they appreciate the differences and are prepared to be citizens in a multicultural world.

Our district is committed to ensuring that race, economics and disability are never predictors of student achievement. 
Everybody counts.  Everybody learns.

In Schenectady, we intend for every student's path to graduation to include excellent teachers, principals and other caring adults at all levels who can help them meet academic expectations, plan for their futures and feel connected to their schools. 

We provide a variety of programs that are designed to spark interest, keep students engaged and promote success.  We identify and support struggling students and make sure that every child has an opportunity to navigate a path to graduation and beyond.

Our district is known for a wide breadth of program and learning opportunities beginning with our youngest learners.  Our elementary schools include both half day and full day Pre-Kindergarten classes.  Our goal is to ensure that every student, beginning with Pre-K, gets a great start by setting his or her foot on the path to graduation.

Our district is known for a commitment to the fine arts.  All students participate in instructional art and music classes taught by certified teachers.  We value the fine arts as part of the core academic program and have earned state and national recognition for our accomplishments. 

Schenectady High School offers hundreds of courses, electives and curriculum options, designed to meet the needs and demands of a diverse student population.  With a focus on preparing students to be ready for college and careers, Schenectady High School provides a rigorous academic program that includes plenty of support to help ensure each student's individual success.

Among the many program opportunities available to high school students is the International Baccalaureate Program, a rigorous, challenging pre-university course of study designed to develop internationally minded people who are reflective, balanced and knowledge learners.

We have something for everyone, including the AVID and Smart Scholars programs, for incoming ninth graders.

Schenectady High School offers more than thirty University in the High School (UHS) courses under the auspices of Schenectady County Community College and SUNY Albany.

The Sayles School of Fine Arts offers courses in art, music, theatre and dance.  Programming is housed in a 42,000 square foot wing at Schenectady High School and includes a black box theatre, dance studio, video production studio, media arts lab, piano lab, music studio, art studio and the Miriam Butzel Gallery.  Many of our graduates have continued their studies in acting, art and music at some of the finest universities.

The graduation rate of students who remain in the district from elementary through high school is 96%.

Schenectady graduates continue their educations at some of the most prestigious colleges and universities in the country.  Schenectady High School graduates currently attend more than 100 colleges and universities throughout the world.

We invite you to visit our schools to learn more.

SCSD Overview Brochure