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[edit] Taconic Hills Central School District, History

Taconic Hills Central School District was formed in 1969 after the unification of the Roeliff Jansen and Ockawamick School Districts, two smaller districts in Columbia County. In 1999 faculty, administrators and students moved into a new centralized K-12 school building in Craryville, NY.

The original formal public schools of Columbia County were one room school houses. Many of them were established under the Common School Act of 1812. However, in the 1920s politicians identifying with the Progressive Movement began scrutinizing the one-room school house educational system. Instead these politicians advocated for a change to larger, more centralized schools, which they felt would provide more equal educational opportunities for all.

Their campaigns were successful and in 1928 New Lebanon became the first centralized school district in Columbia County. This pattern continued and in 1931 Gemantown and Roeliff Jansen, Ockawamick in 1946, Ichabod Crane in 1954, and Chatham in 1955.

When in 1931 the Roeliff Jansen Central School District formed it was made up of twenty-nine smaller districts. It became the largest school district to date.

In 1946 the Ockawamick Central School District was created from fifteen of these small, rural school districts.

The new school has a pool and fitness center and a performing arts center. Additionally there are numerous athletic fields and facilities.

The district has built an ongoing relationship with Shakespeare and Company who come from Lenox, Massachusetts to help enrich the theater program at the school.

The school’s website is http://www.taconichills.k12.ny.us/, more information can be found there. Additionally, for more information on the history of schools within Columbia County, the Columbia County Historical Society is a valuable resource.

“The One-Room School House” http://www.cchsny.org/CCHH_Spring_2002.pdf