Centereach High School

Centereach High School is a public high school in the Middle Country Central School District located in Centereach, Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. It teaches a college preparatory curriculum for grades nine through twelve. The total minority enrollment is 26%, and 33% of students are economically disadvantaged. Centereach High School is 1 of 2 high schools in the Middle Country Central School District.

Centereach High School
Address
14–43rd Street

Centereach
,
New York

United States
Information
TypePublic high school
Motto"empower and inspire all students to apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to be creative problem solvers, to achieve personal success, and to contribute responsibly in a diverse and dynamic world"
Established1970 (1970)
School districtMiddle Country Central School District
PrincipalThomas Bell
Faculty107.2 (FTE)[1]
Grades9–12
Enrollment1,574 (2017–18)[1]
Student to teacher ratio14.71[1]
Color(s)  Blue
  White
MascotCougars:
RivalNewfield High School
NewspaperCross Currents
YearbookDéjà Vu
Websitehttp://www.mccsd.net/chs

As of the 2014–15 school year, the school had an enrollment of 1,552 students and 106.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 14.6:1. There were 308 students (19.8% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 115 (7.4% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.[1]

History

Centereach High School opened in 1970, to serve the continuing population growth in central Suffolk County and in the Middle Country Central School District.

Academics

Students have the opportunity to take Advanced Placement® coursework and exams. The AP® participation rate at Centereach High School is 40%.[2]

According to 2007 data, 97.8% of Centereach graduates earn a New York State Regent's diploma. 53.3 percent of graduates plan to attend 4 year college, and 40.8% plan to attend a 2 year college.[3]

In 2019 Niche School Rankings, assessed Centereach High School at an overall grade of A-. Centereach High was ranked as #2,861 in Best Public High Schools in America, #212 out of 1,236 in New York State and #29 out of 59 in Suffolk County.[4]

Planetarium

The Stephen I. Tupper planetarium hosts a variety of shows[5] and serves as an integral part of the elementary science curriculum,[6] receiving its funding through the school budget.[7] It boasts a 12.2 m dome, seating for 120,[8][9] and a projector nicknamed Sidney.[10] Its directors have included David Cohn,[11] who has worked on coordinated efforts with NASA/JPL, and Thomas Madiganny, who has worked as an IT professional for the likes of Robert Half International.[12]

Athletics

Centereach fields a number of varsity and junior varsity athletic teams, in Section 11, Division 2 of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, including Baseball, Basketball, Bowling, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Fencing, Field Hockey, Football, Golf, Gymnastics, Lacrosse, Soccer, Softball, Tennis, Track & Field, Volleyball (Girls), and Wrestling.

In the fall of 1995, the cross country team (a joint Middle Country team with Newfield High School) won its first state Federation title.[13]

The October 29, 2007 issue of Sports Illustrated ran a story about Centereach's football team being a favored pick for its opponent's homecoming games because of its poor record in recent seasons.[14]

Centereach has an Ice Hockey team that is not involved with the school, but is in the NYSAHA.

In 2017 Centereach High School began a renovation of the boys and girls locker room which was completed for the 2017 -2018 school year. According to Joseph Mercado, the Director of Health, “this will be the first time that the gym has been renovated since the school’s construction in 1970.” He explained that the “goal [of these new locker rooms] is to infuse school spirit into the new facility by incorporating the school’s color theme.” The new blue and black lockers with the white tiled floor and blue sparkles definitely capture Centereach’s blue and white spirit. The cost of these renovations are estimated at $581,000.[15] In addition to the locker room renovations, two team rooms will be renovated at a cost of approximately $370,000.[15] The district also began construction on a new auxiliary gym to be located on the former tennis courts and obstacle course area in 2017. The cost of this gym is estimated at $370,000.[16]

Notable alumni

Events of note

In January 1997, 30-year-old New York City firefighter James Halversen was shot and killed while jogging around the Centereach High School track, in a random act of violence.[19][20] This unfortunate event gave rise to stories about a portion of the track being "haunted," so much so that it has drawn paranormal investigators to the site.[21]

References
  1. "CENTEREACH HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  2. https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/new-york/districts/middle-country-central-school-district/centereach-high-school-13871
  3. "Newsday: High School Graduates". Archived from the original on 2009-07-03. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  4. https://www.niche.com/k12/centereach-high-school-centereach-ny/rankings/
  5. Dawn of the Space Age, Mirage 3D
  6. "District Curriculum Information". Middle Country School District. Archived from the original on 2014-01-19.
  7. "Budget". Middle Country School District. Archived from the original on 2014-01-19.
  8. "Stephen I Tupper Planetarium". David Cohn. Archived from the original on 2014-01-04. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  9. "Tupper Planetarium". Association of French speaking Planetariums ( WPD – Worldwide Planetariums Database ).
  10. "Sidney the projector". Archived from the original on 2013-12-08. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  11. "Biography". Archived from the original on 2013-12-08. Retrieved 2014-01-19.
  12. "Linked-In". Thomas Mdiganny.
  13. "Cougars Now 14th Nationally". Newsday. November 30, 1995. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  14. "High School Football: Lost Cause". Sports Illustrated. October 29, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2010.
  15. https://chscrosscurrents.com/2017/10/24/a-spectacular-surprise/
  16. https://www.mccsd.net/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=6764&dataid=10331&FileName=CHS%20New%20Gym%20Addition%20Web.pdf
  17. https://www.mccsd.net/Page/5082
  18. Representative Steven Smith (r), New Hampshire House of Representatives. Accessed November 28, 2017. "Centereach HS (Centereach, NY)"
  19. Alvarez, Lizette (Jan 5, 1997). "New York City Firefighter Killed While Jogging Near His L.I. Home". The New York Times. Retrieved Aug 5, 2009.
  20. "Man Sentenced to Prison In Slaying of Firefighter". The New York Times. Nov 5, 1998. Retrieved Aug 5, 2009.
  21. Centereach High School Investigation Archived 2009-02-08 at the Wayback Machine, Long Island Paranormal Investigators, accessed Aug. 5, 2009

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