Margaret Hobbie

For the Next Chapter of Your Life
Call me today at (607) 257-0800 Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Howard Hanna Real Estate Services

Area Schools

Public Schools

The principal public school districts in Tompkins County are Ithaca, Lansing, Groton, Dryden, Newfield, and Trumansburg.  These six districts lie completely or almost entirely within the county.  There are another ten or twelve districts that are further away, but still within a very reasonable commute of Ithaca, the employment center for our region.

There are many wonderful schools and dedicated teachers in our area, and I cannot emphasize enough the importance of school visits to find the right one for your child.  Please don’t go by test scores alone, or the recommendations of colleagues as to the “best” schools.

The Ithaca Consolidated School District is the largest in the area.  Eight elementary schools — Belle Sherman, Beverly J. Martin, Caroline, Cayuga Heights, Enfield, Fall Creek, Northeast, and South Hill — are for pupils Grades K-5.  Belle Sherman, BJM, Caroline, and Northeast students go on to DeWitt Middle School; Cayuga Heights, Enfield, Fall Creek, and South Hill feed into Boynton Middle School.  The Ithaca district also includes the Lehman Alternative Community School, a portfolio-based program for students grades 6-12.  A charter school, New Roots, currently serves students in grades 6-8 but plans to grow to a full 6-12 program.

The Dryden Central School system has three primary schools for children K-2:  one in the Village of Dryden, Cassavant in the hamlet of McLean, and Freeville in the Village of Freeville.  As of third grade all children attend Dryden Elementary School, and then the Junior/Senior High School.

The other county schools are LansingGrotonNewfield, and Trumansburg.

The outlying school districts, clockwise (more or less) from the north are:  Southern CayugaMoraviaHomerCortlandNewark ValleyCandorSpencer-Van EttenOdessa-MontourHorseheadsWatkins Glen, and South Seneca.

Private Schools

Our area also boasts an array of private schools, some with a religious affiliation and some non-sectarian.  The Cascadilla School is the only private alternative for high school students but several go through sixth or eighth grade:

Cascadilla School  Located in the City of Ithaca (East Hill), high school ages

Covenant Love Community School  Town of Dryden near Freeville, pre-K through Grade 8

Elizabeth Ann Clune Montessori School  Town of Ithaca (South Hill), pre-K through age 14

Immaculate Conception School City of Ithaca (downtown), pre-K through Grade 8

Ithaca Montessori School  Village of Lansing, pre-K through Grade 1

Ithaca Waldorf School  Town of Danby, pre-K through Grade 6

Namaste Montessori School  Hamlet of Jacksonville, pre-K through age 12

North Spencer Christian Academy  Town of Spencer, Grades 1-6

Home Schooling

Northern Light Learning Center  (City of Ithaca) exists to expand educational and social opportunities for home schoolers throughout the area.