Commack School District

Commack Union Free School District is a public school district located in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The school district straddles the towns of Huntington and Smithtown, with Townline Road as the dividing line. It serves the residents of Commack as well as parts of Dix Hills, Smithtown and East Northport. It served approximately 6,000 students during the 2018–2019 school year.^[3] There are four primary schools (grades K–2), two intermediate schools (grades 3–5), one middle school (grades 6–8) and one high school (grades 9–12).

Commack Union Free School District
Location
Commack Long Island Suffolk County, New York United States
Coordinates	40.8666°N 73.2920°W / 40.8666; -73.2920
District information
Type	Public school district
Motto	"Excellence in Education"
Grades	KG-12
Established	1899
Superintendent	Jordan Cox
Schools	8
Budget	$214,645,326 (for 2022-2023)[1]
NCES District ID	3608130[2]
Students and staff
Students	5,764 (as of 2020-2021)[2]
Teachers	463.73 FTE (as of 2020-2021)[2]
Student–teacher ratio	12.43%
District mascot	Cougars
Colors	Gold and black
Other information
Website	www.commack.k12.ny.us www.commackschools.org

Schools

Primary schools

The primary schools in the Commack School District are Indian Hollow, Rolling Hills, North Ridge, and Wood Park. They serve students in grades K–2. The school day for these schools last from around 9:20 AM to 3:20 PM although one should check with the specific schools for exact times. The students have one teacher throughout the day except for special classes like music, art, and physical education and special services like speech, physical, or occupational therapy.^{[citation needed]}

Intermediate schools

The intermediate schools are Burr and Sawmill. They serve students in grades 3–5. Their school day is from 8:50 AM to 3:05 PM. The two buildings are identical in their structure and design. Both schools have at least ten clubs that meet while school is not in session. The children have one teacher for the whole day except for special classes like music, art and physical education. There are many special services available like Physical Speech and Occupational Therapy, social workers, psychologists and a gifted and talented program. There is also an English as a second language program. In fourth grade, the students begin to learn a musical instrument. They are given lessons once a week and participate in the school's band or orchestra. There is a chorus for students who are interested in singing. Each fifth grade class in both schools takes a two-day trip to Camp Mariah in Fishkill, NY towards the end of the year.^{[citation needed]}

Middle school

The Commack Middle School serves students in grades 6–8. The school day lasts from 7:50 AM to 2:38 PM. Commack Middle School is the first school with multiple classes held in different rooms, unlike in the intermediate and primary schools. Each period is 41 minutes for the exception of 9th period (43 minutes).^[4] The students have 9 periods per day, each with a different teacher. Each child is required to take Math, English, Science, Social Studies, a foreign language, and Physical Education all year for the entire three years. They are also required to take Art, Family and Consumer Science, Technology and Health for a quarter of each year. There are 65 clubs and 20 sports teams for students.^{[citation needed]}

High school

The Commack High School serves students in grades 9–12. The school day lasts from 7:30 AM to 2:25 PM. The students have nine periods per day, each with a different teacher. The classes are forty minutes in length with 5 minutes of walking time in between them. Each student is required to meet the requirements for a New York State Regents diploma unless there are special circumstances. They are also required to complete 15 CSIP (Community Service Involvement Program) credits their first three years and 20 their senior year. These can be fulfilled by participating in sports and clubs or by doing volunteer work inside or out of school. Commack High School is an International Baccalaureate School, and students pursuing an IB diploma are subject to a more stringent of requirements. As of 2018 there were 15 honor societies, 52 clubs and 21 sports teams for students.^[5]

As of the 2019-2020 school year, the total enrollment was 2,187 students and 168 teachers. The student to teacher ratio was 13:1.^[6]

In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked Commack High School the best high school in Suffolk County, the third best on Long Island, the 18th best in New York state, and the 95th best in the country.^[7] As of 2018, Commack High School was unranked in New York State.^{[citation needed]}

List of current and former schools

List of current and former schools within the Commack Union Free School District

School name	Current type	Geography	Former name	Former type	Year opened	Year closed	Building status	Disposition
Current schools
Commack High School	High school	North	Commack High School North	N/A	1962	N/A	Active	N/A
Commack Middle School	Middle school	South	Commack High School South	High school	1968	N/A	Active	N/A
Burr Intermediate School	Intermediate school	North	Burr Junior High School	Middle school	1972	N/A	Active	N/A
John Mandracchia Sawmill Intermediate School	Intermediate school	South	John Mandracchia Sawmill Junior High School	Middle school	1972	N/A	Active	N/A
Indian Hollow Primary School	Primary school	North	Indian Hollow School	Elementary school	1964	N/A	Active	N/A
North Ridge Primary School	Primary school	North	North Ridge Elementary School	Elementary school	1962	N/A	Active	N/A
Rolling Hills Primary School	Primary school	South	Rolling Hills School	Elementary school	1965	N/A	Active	N/A
Wood Park Primary School	Primary school	South	Wood Park School	Elementary school	1961	N/A	Active	N/A
Hubbs Administration Center	Administrative building	North	Grace L. Hubbs School	Elementary school	1964	1976	Repurposed	Now Hubbs Administration Center
Former schools
Greenmeadows Junior High School	Closed	South	N/A	Junior high school	1963	1979	Sold	Sold to Suffolk Jewish Community Center
John F. Kennedy Junior High School	Closed	North	N/A	Junior high school	1964	1981	Demolished	Land sold and demolished. Now Longmeadow Estates.
Cedar Road School	Closed	North	N/A	Elementary school	1960	1988	Leased	Leased to AHRC and Commack Special Services Corp
Circle Hill School	Closed	North	N/A	Elementary school	1963	1981	Demolished	Land sold and demolished. Now housing developments.
Green Fields School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1961	1982	Sold	Sold to WM/YWHA
Grace L. Hubbs School	Administrative building	North	N/A	Elementary school	1964	1976	Repurposed	Now Hubbs Administration Center
Long Acres School	Closed	North	N/A	Elementary school	1963	1980	Leased	Leased to Kiddie Care Early Learning Center
Marion Carll School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1924	1974	Demolished	Sold to NY Tech; since demolished
Old Farms School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1963	1988	Leased	Leased to Suffolk Day Care Center
Sagtikos School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1965	1981	Leased	Now Building Blocks Preschool
Smith's Lane School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1958	1979	Leased	Leased to UCP
South Ridge School	Closed	South	N/A	Elementary school	1963	1976	Demolished	Burned, demolished and land sold to homes
Winnicomac School	Closed	North	N/A	Elementary school	1958	1983	Sold	Now Sappo Intermediate School and Tree of Life Preschool

Board of education

Commack Board of Education 2022–2023^[8]

Position	Name
President	Justin Varughese
Vice President	Steven Hartman
Trustee	William Hender
Trustee	Susan Hermer
Trustee	Gus Hueber

Academics

Commack Middle School was awarded first place in the Long Island Regional Middle School Science Bowl academic competition at Brookhaven National Laboratory on April 14, 2007,^[9] and went on to take seventh place in the academic competition in the National Middle School Science Bowl that same year. The Commack Middle School also won the Long Island Regional Middle School Science Bowl in March of 2012,^[10] March of 2014,^[11] and March of 2016.^[12]

Commack High School was recognized as a National Blue Ribbon school of excellence in 2021.^[13]

The Suffolk County Reading Council has recognized the Commack School District's elementary schools for their achievements in the area of literacy.^[14]

Demographics

The tables below describe the school district's demographic data for the last three school years that have been made available by the New York State Education Department.^[3]

Enrollment by gender^[3]

Gender	Number of students (2018–2019)	Number of students (2019–2020)	Number of students (2020–2021)
Female	2,882 (48%)	2,857 (49%)	2,782 (49%)
Male	3,099 (52%)	3,018 (51%)	2,937 (51%)

Enrollment by ethnicity^[3]

Ethnicity	Number of students (2018–2019)	Number of students (2019–2020)	Number of students (2020–2021)
American Indian or Alaska Native	10 (0%)	13 (0%)	13 (0%)
Black or African American	72 (1%)	91 (2%)	105 (2%)
Hispanic or Latino	524 (9%)	582 (10%)	604 (11%)
Asian or Native Hawaiian/other Pacific Islander	532 (9%)	563 (10%)	592 (10%)
White	4,727 (79%)	4,508 (77%)	4,277 (75%)
Multiracial	116 (2%)	118 (2%)	128 (2%)

Other groups^[3]

Title	Number of students (2018–2019)	Number of students (2019–2020)	Number of students (2020–2021)
English language learners	65 (1%)	76 (1%)	81 (1%)
Students with disabilities	1,089 (18%)	1,029 (18%)	1,030 (18%)
Economically disadvantaged	781 (13%)	755 (13%)	750 (13%)
Migrant	-	-	-
Homeless	10 (0%)	11 (0%)	6 (0%)
Foster care	-	-	-
Parent in armed forces	-	-	-

Notable alumni

• Carly Aquilino, standup comedian and TV personality (Girl Code)^[15][16]
• Dave Cohen, college football coach^[17]
• Bob Costas, sportscaster^[18][19]
• Don DeMola, MLB pitcher, Montreal Expos^[20][18]
• Courtney Galiano, dancer^[21][22]
• Adam Gertler, TV personality (FX Movie Download) and chef (Gertler's Wurst)^[23][24][25]
• Pete Harnisch, Major League Baseball player^[26][27][28]
• Jennifer Iacopelli, author^[29][30][31]
• Tom Mendoza, business executive, namesake of Mendoza College of Business at Notre Dame^[32]
• Tim Miller (Bizzle), professional Fortnite player for FaZe Clan^[33][34][35]
• Dianne Moritz, author^[36][37]
• Steve Morrison, co-host of Preston and Steve radio show^{[citation needed]}
• Rosie O'Donnell, entertainer^[38]
• Samantha Prahalis, WNBA basketball player^[39]
• Ashley Reyes, actress and star of Walker^[40]
• Ruth Ann Swenson, opera singer^[41][42]

References

1. "School budgets pass, majority of incumbents retain seats throughout town". tbrnewsmedia.com.
2. "Search for Public School Districts - District Detail for Commack Union Free School District". nces.ed.gov.
3. "2019 | COMMACK UFSD - Enrollment Data | NYSED Data Site". data.nysed.gov. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
4. "Commack Middle School 2021-2022 Bell Schedule" (PDF). Commack School District. Retrieved 12 May 2022.
5. "Parent-Student Handbook 2014-2015 Commack High School" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-07.
6. "Search for Public Schools - School Detail for COMMACK HIGH SCHOOL". nces.ed.gov. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
7. "Congratulations To Commack High School". NY State Senate. 2012-05-10. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
8. "Board of Education". www.commackschools.org. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
9. "Commack Middle School Wins Science Bowl at Brookhaven Lab".
10. "Commack Middle School Wins Regional Science Bowl".
11. "Commack Middle School Wins Top Honors at Brookhaven Lab's Regional Middle School Science Bowl".
12. "Commack Middle School Wins Top Honors at Brookhaven Lab's Regional Middle School Science Bowl".
13. "Commack High School Recognized as National Blue Ribbon School".
14. "English Department Highlights".
15. "Commack Native Bringing Home The Laughs". Long Islander News. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
16. "Commack's Carly Aquilino Helps Shelter Animals During Holidays". Commack, NY Patch. 2013-11-27. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
17. "Dave Cohen - Football Coach". Western Michigan University Athletics. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
18. "Costas returns to LI roots for Suffolk Hall induction". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
19. Buchner, Bill. "Legendary Sportscaster Bob Costas Remembers His Long Island Childhood". www.wshu.org. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
20. "Don DeMola Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac". www.baseball-almanac.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
21. Lovece, Frank (April 8, 2012). "Courtney Galiano reveals MS diagnosis". Newsday. Cablevision. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
22. Gill, Ronnie (November 2, 2008). "Dix Hills' Courtney Galiano shines with Knicks, Fox". Newsday. Cablevision. Archived from the original on December 29, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
23. "Adam Gertler Bio". Food Network. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
24. Haber, Jonah; Deriso, Daniel; Desonne Ammaccapane, Olivia (April 22, 2009). "Kidsday talks with Food Network's Adam Gertler". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
25. Lebovic, Matt. "Celebrity chef goes fusion with Jewish roots". www.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
26. "Pete Harnisch Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
27. "The Story of Pete Harnisch: From Commack HS to MLB All Star". www.axcessbaseball.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
28. "Harnisch, Pete". Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame. 2018-02-06. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
29. Oldfield, Kate (11 March 2020). "Jennifer Iacopelli Discusses Her Powerful New YA Novel, Break The Fall". United by Pop. Archived from the original on 2020-03-09. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
30. Amatulli, Jenna (2 February 2017). "Badass Librarian Tracks Down 'Hackers,' Clears Student's Name". Huffington Post. Archived from the original on 2020-12-05. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
31. "2021 Best Fiction for Young Adults". America Library Association. Archived from the original on 2021-01-14. Retrieved 29 October 2021.
32. "How I Got Here: Tom Mendoza, Vice Chairman NetApp Inc. (careerjournal.com)". www.garone.com. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
33. "Game Design News: Commack". www.commackschools.org. February 2, 2019. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
34. "Bizzle's love-hate relationship with Fortnite". ESPN.com. 2019-05-07. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
35. "Fortnite Gamer From LI Raises $60K For Angela's House Non-Profit". Commack, NY Patch. 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
36. "Spotlight On Writers - Dianne Moritz, interview at Spillwords.com". Spillwords. 2020-02-08. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
37. Moritz, S. Dianne (1989-01-01). "LONG ISLAND OPINION; Going Home Again: But Where Is 'Home'?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-10-01.
38. "Rosie O'Donnell". People. Time Inc. Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved February 15, 2014.
39. "Ex-Commack star Prahalis named James Madison assistant coach". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
40. Andreeva, Nellie (February 21, 2022). "'Walker': Jared Padalecki Gets New Partner As Ashley Reyes Joins CW Drama As Series Regular". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
41. "Artist Profile: Coloratura Soprano Ruth Ann Swenson". Opera Wire. 2018-08-25. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
42. Wakin, Daniel J. (2007-04-05). "Mainstay Soprano Feels Snubbed by the Met". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-30.

External links

• Commack School District website