Dear GD Community,
I would like to share an important update with our entire school community regarding high school placement options for Wynantskill students.
The Averill Park Board of Education has reconsidered its previous position regarding the date after which tuitioned students from Wynantskill would no longer be permitted to attend. As a result, we have been informed that current Wynantskill 8th grade students will be permitted to select Averill Park High School as their high school of choice for the 2026–2027 school year and may remain there through graduation (please see AP’s message below)..
Families of current 8th grade students who are interested in this option should contact Wynantskill’s School Counselor, Mrs. Amy Murphy, at amurphy@wynantskillufsd.org. We will promptly share this information with Averill Park and request that they meet with interested families as soon as possible, as their open house has already occurred.
It is important for our community to understand that this will be the final cohort of Wynantskill students permitted to select a high school through this process. Unfortunately, younger students and siblings will not be eligible to attend Averill Park High School in future years.
We appreciate the Averill Park Board of Education’s thoughtful consideration and their willingness to reach a positive outcome for our students who are navigating this unique transition period prior to any merger determination by the New York State Education Department.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me directly.
Sincerely,
Dr. Mary Yodis
Message From AP:
On December 1, 2025, the Averill Park Central School District (Averill Park) Board of Education informed the community that, should the proposed annexation of Wynantskill Union Free School District (Wynantskill) by the Troy City School District (Troy) be approved and an agreement be reached between Averill Park and Troy/Wynantskill, Averill Park would allow Wynantskill students who are currently enrolled in Averill Park High School (APHS) to continue to attend APHS through their graduation if they wished to do so. However, this option would be limited to those students currently enrolled as of June 2026. The Board of Education’s statement can be accessed here.
As an update to the above statement, the Averill Park Board of Education has decided to allow current Wynantskill 8th grade students to attend APHS if they so desire.
This decision is based on two factors.
First, if the proposed annexation is approved, the Averill Park Board of Education has been informed that there will most likely be a transition year, which means Wynantskill will still exist for the 2026 – 2027 school year. As a result, the current 8th grade students would not have an in-district high school option next year, which makes school choice logical.
Second, Wynantskill 8th grade students are already in the process of selecting a high school next year and need to select a high school before the annexation vote will take place. Based on this timeline, the Averill Park Board of Education does not want these students to not have the option to attend APHS based on a timeline that is out of their control.
Averill Park values our relationship with the residents of Troy and Wynantskill and wishes both districts the best as they go through this process.