TOWN OF POUGHKEEPSIE – The Poughkeepsie Day School on Boardman Road is remaining at its current location for at least the next three school years. The Town of Poughkeepsie has been considering the purchase of the campus to relocate the town hall, town court, and police department in one centralized location.
After examining the buildings on the campus and the associated costs of relocating, the town has put the purchase on hold while a working group of residents pursues other possible locations, according to Town Supervisor Jay Baisley.
The school has begun the strategic planning process with local organizations and educational institutions to determine its next chapter.
Poughkeepsie Day School was established in 1934 and has been on Boardman Road since 1995. With the town putting its plan to purchase the school on hold, the campus is still listed as being for sale.
“A commercial sale is a long process. Even a successful sale would likely involve us remaining on Boardman Rd until at least the 2025-26 school year,” explains Board of Trustees member Jason Berry. The school’s site includes outdoor learning spaces, science labs, a music studio, art spaces, and the James Earl Jones Theater.
At this time, the school is exploring options to stay on the property for the long term.
Supervisor Baisley said the plan to move the town hall has been shelved. “The cost to relocate town hall would be an enormous financial burden to the taxpayers and it is not feasible,” he said. The working group, Baisley said, is reviewing other options to relocate the police and court facilities which were built on top of a landfill. “The group has identified several other options, including an IBM building, which was not on the market when we started looking for buildings,” Baisley said. “It recently became available, and we are taking a thorough look at it as well as the other options.”
