John Jay High School (Hopewell Junction, New York)

John Jay was built in 1968 to accommodate the growth of the Wappingers School District. Prior to its construction, Ketcham High School was the district's only high school, 8 miles (13 km) away in Wappingers Falls. The 1973 graduating class was the first class to have completed four full years at John Jay HS. Growth in Southern Dutchess County, New York has resulted in a number of classes having more than 25 students in them, although there has been a recent rise in classes with less than 15 students. John Jay's current principal is David Kedzielawa. Paul Albanese, Eleanore Reilly, and Jason Gelardi are John Jay's current administrators.[4]

In 2002, a new biology-chemistry wing was opened for the exclusive use of these laboratory courses. In 2009, a new math wing was opened on the first floor. The school is geographically surrounded by IBM East Fishkill. The presence of IBM in the area has fueled and helped to fund a model example of a high school engineering focus. John Jay offers many classes focused on engineering, with some classes utilizing college-level computer programs and mathematics. Some of the classes are eligible for college credit through the Rochester Institute of Technology. The school added an addition in recent years extending, from the Math to the English wings and adding four new classrooms to the building.[5][6]

In recent years, John Jay's percentage of students going on to two- and four-year colleges has been in the 90s.[7] Often students enrolled in two-year programs subsequently move on to four-year programs following their earning an associate degree. U.S. News & World Report awarded the school a silver medal, giving it a national rank of 1,156 among the best high schools in the US.[8]

• Joe Panik, MLB player for the San Francisco Giants
• Patti Murin, Actress, “Anna” in Frozen (musical).
• Jake Keegan, professional American soccer player