Huntington Schools Ready to Reopen!
Summer vacation is winding down and the Huntington School District’s eight buildings are ready for the more than 4,000 students that will soon be walking through doorways. School officially reopens on Wednesday, September 5 and officials say it should be a great year.
“We have everything in place to allow students to start learning on day one,” Huntington Superintendent John J. Finello said. “Teachers, support staff and programs are ready to go. We’ll hit the ground running. All of us are excited to begin another year.”
During the summer months, dozens of new faculty members have been hired to replace others that retired, resigned, are on leaves of absence or who assumed different positions in the school system. The district expects to have nearly 850 teachers, teacher assistants and teacher aides working with students this year.
Transportation officials have been working to iron out any problems in advance of the first day. Bus drivers will make dry runs to avoid surprises in their routes. A large majority of students in the district will be transported by busses each day.
Buildings have been cleaned from ceiling to floor and numerous renovation projects have also been completed. Hallways and gym floors are shining and the exterior grounds have been tidied up.
Teachers are due to report to their buildings on Tuesday, September 5 for meetings and to prepare their classrooms. Many teachers have been seen at their schools already, organizing materials and checking on equipment and supplies. 
Once again the district will be working to improve its academic results. New courses have been added and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of new textbooks, workbooks and library books have arrived over the summer months. Assistant Superintendent Joseph Giani said the district has an “excellent” group of faculty and paraprofessionals in its ranks.
Huntington will emphasize development of strong reading, writing, math and speech skills at the elementary grade levels. Teaming will continue at J. Taylor Finley Middle School and both accelerated and remediation programs are in place there to help students meet high standards. Huntington High School will again boast an array of Regents, honors and Advanced Placement courses and dozens of after school clubs and athletic teams.
Students in grades 4-12 have access to a comprehensive club and intramural program and there are more than 70 sports teams for those in grades 7-12. The high school library will remain open for extended hours to allow students an opportunity to finish homework and projects and conduct research.
“We are doing everything we can to help students reach their full academic potential,” Mr. Finello said. “Our goal is to graduate all of our students on time.” Parents are again being encouraged to become familiar with the district’s schools and programs and to maintain open lines of communication with teachers and administrators.
“We have an exceptional group of students,” Mr. Finello said. “Huntington has a very diverse enrollment with so many talents. The community is always welcome to attend our public events and see our students in action. There are hundreds of plays, concerts, academic fairs and competitions, athletic games and tournaments and special events. We appreciate all the support residents have provided through the years.”
In addition to a lengthy list of in-school academic programs, Huntington High School students will have access to nearly three dozen vocational and technical programs of study at one of five BOCES Wilson Tech campuses. Half-day and full day programs are available through Huntington High School.
A college counseling center will be available to high school students and their parents. In addition to a full-time college counselor, the center has college guides and books, Internet access to college sites, on-line application capabilities and it hosts college visits throughout the year.
“We will offer our students an excellent academic and extracurricular program this year,” Mr. Finello said. “All school age residents are welcome to attend school in our district.”
Comments or Questions? email the Public Information Office