Van Wyck Junior High School

Van Wyck Junior High School is an intermediate school in Hopewell Junction, New York, located at 6 Hillside Lake Road and is a part of the Wappingers Central School District. The school opened its doors in 1964 and presently teaches grades six through eight. New construction of homes in the area have led to overcrowding in Van Wyck and the district's other junior high, Wappingers Junior High School. Incapacity led to the western-most wing (which runs north-south) to be added to the school, which now serves the sixth grade. The extension is only noticeable in the new rooms which touch where the outside of the school once was: normal sized bricks are seen on the eastern walls of those rooms, while the rest have walls made of cinder block-size bricks. In late 2004, modulator classrooms were opened approximately 75 feet south of the existing building to accommodate some sixth grade classes which the school could not hold. The present principal is Steven Shuchat (pronounced SHOO-cat).

This is also one of the most efficient junior high schools in New York with 99.9% of the students passing Fact|date=February 2007 and it is one of the safest schools with no crimeFact|date=February 2007. 88% of the students are white 6% are black 4% are Hispanic and 2% is other.

Controversies

The most notable complaint about the school is overcrowding. Students are oftentime instructed in classes of 25 or more and approximately 30 school buses serve the school of 1,500. Lunch periods have had an increasingly large large number of attendees; as a result, another lunch period is expected to be added to third period to alleviate crowding. In 2003, The district was offered a 143-acre piece of land on All Angels Hill Road (CR 94) on which to construct another junior high school. The plan, however, was shot down in public disapproval, despite that only 3,000 out of the registered 72,000 voters in the district voted. cite news |title=WCSD Shelves Land Buy For Now| url=http://www.weeklybeat.net/2005/04/4-1-05/wcsdland.htm | work=The Weekly Beat| date=2005-02-01 | accessdate=2008-03-26 ] In March 2008, a proposed referendum would have added extensions and improvements to the junior highs in the district, but it was outvoted, with the majority of naysayers citing the construction would increase property taxes a mere $100 a year. As with the previous referendum, only a small percentage of the population voted.

Parents and students alike have become disgruntled with a rule which states that nothing may be consumed in classrooms, gum included. Numerous times over recent years, the school's water system was declared "undrinkable" by the Dutchess County Board of Health (as has that of John Jay HS). Water coolers now serve students and staff, though finding a working one can be a challenge, and it is a hassle for a teacher to interrupt class to write a hall pass.

The lunches served have also been under scrutiny for being high in fat content and, quite simply, unhealthy, especially now that lunch periods can start as early as 9:00.

References

External links

* [http://www.wappingersschools.org/ Wappingers Central School District Home Page]
* [http://www.wappingersschooos.org/vanwyck Van Wyck Junior High Home Page]