Known for its long tradition of excellence and high standards, the Spackenkill Union Free School District is a pre-K–12 public school district located in the western part of Dutchess County, New York. The District was established in 1865 and has grown from a one-room schoolhouse to four schools serving some 1,500 students. Spackenkill prides itself on being a small community, where families know each other, enhancing the spirit of a shared vision.
In 2025 Niche ratings, the District ranked #1 among Dutchess County districts, scoring an overall grade of A. The District also ranks in the top 3% of over 10,000 ranked school districts across America!
SHS has earned the College Board's AP® Computer Science Female Diversity Award for expanding young women's access to AP Computer Science Principles (CSP). SHS is one of only 834 schools nationwide to be recognized for achieving this result in AP CSP.
US News has consistently reanked our schools among the best nationaly and in New York State. Since 2012, the District has received the Best Communities for Music Education Award from the NAMM Foundation.
Spackenkill students advance to state and national levels in such competitions as Odyssey of the Mind, Science Olympiad, American Computer Science League, American Mathematics Competition, Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, and Mathcounts. Our students have also placed in the top levels of the Siemens Competition, Regeneron, and ISEF Awards.