'We’re able to take advantage of the beauties of a national park.' A tour of the Fire Island School District
Not everyone knows it, but Fire Island has its own school district. Students from pre-K through sixth grade attend Woodhull School near Ocean Beach.
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Not everyone knows it, but Fire Island has its own school district.
Students from pre-K through sixth grade attend Woodhull School near Ocean Beach.
Travis Davey, superintendent and principal, said they are one of the very few schools across America “that’s on a national park, essentially, so we have the beauties of our environment which we take advantage of all the time, just from a walk down to the beach, to the wildlife that’s here, so we’re able to take advantage of the beauties of a national park.”
He said the small student-to-teacher ratio also sets the district apart.
“The individualized education that you can provide to students is unmatched,” Davey said.
The school has a total of 39 students and there are currently no kindergarteners. Lunch isn’t provided, so each student must bring their own.
Davey estimates about one-third of the students don’t live on Fire Island. They come from the “mainland” by taking a bus across the beach.
Students have unique learning experiences, from tracking monarch butterflies to participating in a sandcastle competition, thanks to the school’s location.
Students who live off-island but attend the school on Fire Island pay tuition. Students who live on Fire Island can choose between the Bay Shore and Islip School districts once they age out of the school.
