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link to main page content bells graphics Shenendehowa Central Schools column graphic
link to Shen High School
link to Shen Middle Schools
link to Acadia Middle School
link to Gowana Middle School
link to Koda Middle School
link to Arongen Elementary School
link to Chango Elementary School
link to Karigon Elementary School
link to Okte Elementary School
link to Orenda Elementary School
link to Shatekon Elementary School
link to Skano Elementary School
link to Tesago Elementary School
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5 Chelsea Place, Clifton Park, NY 12065 518-881-0600
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About Shenendehowa  
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Shenendehowa covers approximately 86 square miles serving families from the communities of Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Ballston Lake, Round Lake, Malta and parts of Waterford, Rexford, Mechanicville and Stillwater.
Approximately 9,800 students attend eight elementary schools (gr. K-5), three middle schools (gr. 6-8) and a high school (gr. 9-12). Shenendehowa is the largest central school in Saratoga County and the largest in student population in the Suburban Council, an interscholastic athletic consortium of 11 area schools districts.
Nine of the thirteen school buildings are located on a 232-acre campus in Clifton Park, New York. There are four neighborhood elementary schools located off campus.
Traditionally, the schools were named with Iroquois words. Shenendehowa, for example, means “great plains.”

Click here for a map of the campus and district schools.

 
Shenendehowa History
arrow bullet The Shenendehowa Central School District was organized on January 14, 1950, by a vote of the residents of 21 former common school districts and one union-free school district.
These 22 schools in the towns of Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Malta, Waterford, Ballston and Stillwater (representing approximately 86 square miles) became officially centralized on July 1, 1950.
From 1950 through 1953, the district housed grades K-8 in 16 one-, two- and three-room school houses plus an eight-room school house in Round Lake. All high school students (gr. 9-12) were transported to one of four high schools: Ballston Spa, Mechanicville, Waterford or Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake.
In 1951, the School District voted to purchase 160 acres to build an 1,800-pupil school for kindergarten through grade 12. This land was part of the Shenondahowe or Clifton Park Patent of 1708. The Iroquois word “Shenondahowe” means Great Plains. That’s how the district became know as Shenendehowa Central Schools.

January 1950
Organized by a vote of residents from 21 common school districts and one union free school district in Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Malta, Waterford Ballston and Stillwater.

July 1950
Officially centralized and named "Central School District No. 2, of the Towns of Clifton Park, Halfmoon, Malta, Waterford, Ballston and Stillwater, County of Saratoga, New York."

1951
District voted to purchase 160 acres and to build an 1,800 pupil school to house K-12. The area of the campus was part of the SHENONDAHOWE (Iroquois for Great Plains) or Clifton Park Patent of 1708. The Board of Education simplified the name at the time and began referring to the district as Shenendehowa Central Schools (the name would not be formally changed with the State Education Department until 1973).

September 1953
Kindergarten students and gr. 8-12 moved into the main building that was Shenendehowa Central Schools (now Gowana/Acadia)

January 1954
Grades 1-7 moved into rooms in the main building (now Gowana/Acadia) as they were being completed closing the numerous one- and two-room school houses.

Configuration change: K-12 in one building (what is currently Gowana/Acadia)

1958
Additions made to Arongen (now Acadia).

1962
A new wing was built on to the main building (now Gowana/Acadia).

Configuration change: K-6 in Arongen (what is currently called Acadia) and gr. 7-12 in the High School (what is currently called Gowana).

August 1964
District purchases 51 adjoining acres (Karigon/Orenda and Tesago/Skano are built on this parcel). Shenendehowa Junior High (called Middle A, then Koda, now called HS West Building) opened housing gr. 7-9.

Configuration change: K-6 in Arongen (what is currently called Acadia); gr. 7-9 in junior high (what is currently SHS Freshman Center); and gr. 10-12 in high school (what is currently Gowana)

1966-67
Tesago (courage) and Skano (peace) Elementary Schools opened housing gr. K-6

1967
District purchases an additional 25 acres adjacent to the campus (bus garage area).

1968
Orenda (great spirit) and Karigon (to join together) Elementary Schools opened housing gr. K-6.

September 1970
Shenendehowa High School was built and housed grade 9-12. The original high school building (currently called Gowana) is named Middle School B and the original junior high school building (currently called HS West Building) is named Middle School A. They house gr. 6-8.

Configuration change: K-5 in five elementary schools; gr. 6-8 in two middle schools; and gr. 9-12 in the high school.

1970
District purchased 94 acres east of Moe Road.

June 1972
Jerome Rosen donates land to on Cresent-Vishers Ferry Road (Okte)

August 1972
Robert VanPatten donates land on Round Lake Road (Chango)

1973
In compliance with State Education Law, the official name of the district was changed to "Shenendehowa Central School District at Elnora" (at the time Elnora was the primary post office).

September 1973
Because of increasing enrollments, the ninth grade was moved to the middle schools and sixth grade was moved to the elementary schools.

Configuration change: K-6 in five elementary schools; gr. 7-9 in two middle schools; and gr. 10-12 in the high school.

September 1973
Okte (to achieve) Elementary School opened housing gr. K-6.

September 1974
Chango (happy and cheerful) Elementary School opened housing gr. K-6.

1976
Middle School A is renamed Koda (friend) Junior High (currently HS West Building) and Middle School B is renamed Gowana (great) Junior High.

July 1983
District’s name formally changes to "Shenendehowa Central School District at Clifton Park."

April 1988
District office moves from Winan’s Wing in Arongen (currently named Acadia) to Fairchild Square.

1988
Additions to Skano/Tesago and Karigon/Orenda are made.

September 1987
All campus kindergarten classes are moved to Arongen.

Configuration change: Arongen (now called Acadia) K-6, North and South elementary schools are gr. 1-6, Okte and Chango are gr. K-6; gr. 7-9 in two junior highs, gr. 10-12 in the high school.

October 1989
Four-room addition made to the high school.

February 1989
Addition to Chango Elementary.

September 1989
Addition to Koda and Gowana junior highs.

September 1992
Arongen (currently called Acadia) closes because aging infrastructure is in poor condition. New building opens on Clifton Park Center Road. It is named Arongen and houses grades K-6. Kindergartners in housed in the closed now Arongen building (Acadia)  move back to campus schools.

Configuration change: K-6 in seven elementary schools; gr. 7-9 in two junior highs; and gr. 10-12 in the high school.

September 1994
Old Arongen renovated, reopened and renamed Acadia (place of plenty) it houses all of grade 6.

Configuration change: K-5 in seven elementary schools; g. 6 in Acadia; gr. 7-9 in two junior highs; and gr. 10-12 in the high school.

September 1998
Additions to Gowana/Acadia facility and the high school are made.

Configuration change: K-5 in seven elem. schools; gr. 6 and 7 in Acadia, gr. 6, 7 and 8 in Gowana; gr. 8 and 9 in Koda (now called SHS Freshman Center); and gr. 10-12 in the high school.

September 1999
Third middle school added to Gowana/Acadia building. It is named Koda. Four science classrooms are added to the old Koda and it is renamed Shenendehowa High School West. The high school is renamed Shenendehowa High School East. 

Configuration change: K-5 in seven elementary schools; gr. 6, 7, and 8 in three middle schools; all of gr. 9 and half of grade 10 in Shen High School West; and half of gr. 10 and all of grade 11 and 12 in Shen High School East.

January 2001
The community supports a referendum to add on to High School East Building allowing all of grade 10-12 to be housed there when construction is complete.

May 2001
The community supports a referendum to purchase a building at 5 Chelsea Place off of  Route 9 to house the district office personnel.

November 2001
The Board of Education votes to rename the high school buildings. High School East will be named Shenendehowa High School. High School West will be renamed Shenendehowa High School Freshman Center.

February 2002
The Board of Education votes to rename the high school buildings. Shenendehowa High School will be renamed Shenendehowa High School East Building. Shenendehowa High School Freshman Center will be renamed Shenendehowa High School West Building.

December 2002
The district offices move from the leased space at 1 Fairchild Square to the district-owned property at 5 Chelsea Place.

January 2004
Residents approve a referendum to build a new elementary school, a pool, a middle school addition and reconstruction/addition on to the transportation facility.

September 2004
The new wing at the Shenendehowa High School East Building opens. HS East now houses all students in grades 10-12 and HS West now houses grade 9 only.

September 2007
Shatekon (a balanced life), the district's eighth elementary school opens. It is attached to Arongen Elementary School.

 
arrow bullet The Carillon Bells
Before 1950, the district was made up of 22 one- and two-room school houses, 11 of which still had school bells (click here for a location and status of the schools). Rodney Winans, the first superintendent, helped to centralize the district. He brought the 11 bells together to the bell court on the main campus (now Gowana) and had them assembled into a carillon.* The bells are a symbol which pays tribute to the schools and the towns which combined to form Shenendehowa Central Schools.

*Note:
Age and the elements began to take their toll on the Carillon Bells. Currently, they are being safely stored in one of the district's storage facilities until they can be refurbished and displayed properly once again.
 
arrow bullet School openings
In 1953, the original building (now Gowana/Acadia) opened. 
In 1966, a middle school was opened on the campus (now Shenendehowa High School West Building).
In 1966 through 1968, Skano, Tesago, Karigon and Orenda Elementary schools opened on the campus.
Shenendehowa High School (what is now the East Building) was opened in 1970.
In the mid 1970s, two off-campus elementary schools were built. Okte opened in 1973 and Chango opened in 1974.
In 1992, another off-campus elementary school opened (Arongen).
In 1999, Koda Middle School was added to the Gowana/Acadia facility.
 
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Location and status of original 22 schools that centralized to form Shen (underlined schools indicate where the bells of the Carillion came from).

  • Clifton Park #2 Grooms-N.E. corner, Sugar Hill & Ray Rd, razed

  • Clifton Park #3 Vishers Ferry (circa 1850), Clifton Park, private home

  • Clifton Park #4 Wilbur (circa 1832)-N.E. corner Moe/Crescent-Vischers Ferry Rd, Clifton Park - razed

  • Clifton Park # 5 Moe-S.W. corner Moe/Grooms Road, Clifton Park, sold at auction in 1955 for $800, now a nursery school

  • Clifton Park #6 Town Sheds (circa 1837)- N.E. corner Vischers Ferry/Clifton Park Center Roads, Clifton Park razed (site of current town hall)

  • Clifton Park #7 Waite (circa 1855) - North side Route 146, East of Waite Rd, Clifton Park, sold at auction in 1953 for $600

  • Clifton Park #8 - Originally located on Appleton Rd, annexed to Burnt Hills Ballston Lake in 1915, Clifton Park #13 renumbered #8 North side of Ushers Road, razed

  • Clifton Park #9 Jonesville (circa 1856) - West side Main St. opposite church, sold at auction in 1977 for $10,550.

  • Clifton Park #10 Elnora - West side Rt 146A, south of Kinns Rd, sold for $1,025 private home

  • Clifton Park #11 Kinns, Skunk Hollow - South side of Kinns Rd, west of Plank Rd, burned by vandals

  • Clifton Park #12 - Northwest corner Cemetery Road/old Route 146, sold used as private business

  • Halfmoon #1 Middletown - Churchhill Road, private home

  • Halfmoon #2 Newtown - intersection Rte 146/236, private business

  • Halfmoon #3 Beach Rd - razed

  • Halfmoon #4 Cary Rd - original burned in 1950

  • Halfmoon #5 West Crescent - East side Dunsbach Rd., private home

  • Halfmoon #7 Coons Crossing - private owner

  • Halfmoon #9 - Originally located on Rte 9, moved around the corner, now a private business

  • Halfmoon #11 Crescent - North side Churchhill Road, east of Rte 9, razed

  • Malta #4 Maltaville - Rte 67 east of Rte 9, private home

  • Malta #5 Armstrong's Corners - Southeast corner Eastline Rd and Round Lake Rd, razed

  • Malta #9 Round Lake Free Academy - razed following repeated vandalism

 
Enrollments
Opening 9/30/01 9/30/02 9/30/03 9/30/04 9/30/05 9/30/06 9/30/07
Districtwide 9,128 9,231 9,355 9,548 9,645 9,692 9,755
               
High School 2,811 2,832 2,797 2,898 2,873 2,884 3,005
East Building 1,800 1,837 1,824 2,076 2,123 2,114 2,199
West Building 1,011 995 973 822 750 770 806
               
Middle School 2,185 2,131 2,182 2,201 2,273 2,296 2,256
Acadia 742 715 748 780 786 774 749
Gowana 716 695 707 697 737 778 764
Koda 727 721 727 724 750 744 743
               
Elementary 4,132 4,268 4,376 4,449 4,499 4,512 4,494
Arongen 724 733 771 768 774 792 696
Chango 526 546 541 577 585 620 514
Karigon 493 512 556 576 568 587 565
Okte 576 561 596 629 614 584 552
Orenda 548 574 525 521 592 606 559
Skano 603 648 653 639 607 590 543
Tesago 662 694 734 739 759 733 523
Shatekon             542
 
Opening enrollment history
1955-- 1,711 
1956-- 1,788 
1957-- 1,825 
1958-- 1,912 
1959-- 2,008 
1960-- 2,118 
1961-- 2,260 
1962-- 2,483 
1963-- 2,799 
1964-- 3,184 
1965-- 3,723 
1966-- 4,383 
1967-- 5,048 
1968-- 5,867 
1969-- 6,722
1970-- 7,458
1971-- 8,264
1972-- 8,777
1973-- 9,069
1974-- 9,404
1975-- 9,697
1976-- 9,853*
1977-- 9,786
1978-- 9,770
1979-- 9,304
1980-- 8,882
1981-- 8,628
1982-- 8,312
1983-- 8,056
1984-- 7,914
1985-- 7,831
1986-- 7,981
1987-- 7,990
1988-- 8,164
1989-- 8,321
1990-- 8,564
1991-- 8,687
1992-- 8,755
1993-- 8,838
1994-- 8,909
1995-- 8,998
1996-- 9,105
1997-- 9,171
1998-- 9,186
1999-- 9,237
2000-- 9,121
2001-- 9,162
2002-- 9,231
2003-
- 9,355
2004-- 9,548
2005-- 9,645
2006-- 9,692
2007--9,755
  *Largest enrollment
 
Graduating Class Size History
1954--28
1955--46
1956--66
1957--69
1958--75
1959--81
1960--95
1961--85
1962--99
1963--101
1964--145
1965--148
1966--170
1967--207
1968--228
1969--244
1970--339
1971--336
1972--450
1973--459
1974--507
1975--570
1976--577
1977--642
1978--696
1979--662
1980--681
1981--698
1982--699
1983--666
1984--647
1985--660
1986--681
1987--675
1988--623
1989--592
1990--579
1991--582
1992--568
1993--502
1994--523
1995--529
1996--526
1997--534
1998--544
1999--582
2000--583
2001--604
2002--605
2003--647
2004--633
2005--658
2006--636
2007--633
2008--729*
  *Largest graduating class
 
 
 
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ABOUT SHEN

History
Carillion Bells
School openings
Location of 22 one- and two-room school houses
Chronological History
Enrollment
History of enrollment
History of graduating class size
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Maintained in accordance with the Shenendehowa Central School District Web Publishing Guidelines by Kelly DeFeciani, Public Information Officer. Copyright © 2004 Shenendehowa Central Schools, 970 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY  12065; Phone (518) 881-0600. All rights reserved.