Dear Poughkeepsie Day School community,
We are pleased to announce that the Town of Poughkeepsie has finalized a purchase of the Elizabeth C. Gilkeson Center on Boardman Road, our current academic building. This allows PDS to relocate to the familiar Kenyon House, which served as our high school campus from 1995 to 2020, and has not been used since our reopening.
This is a game-changer for the school—one that provides a better experience for our teachers and students, allows us to more closely align with our mission, and better positions us for long-term growth and sustainability.
Why the move is necessary
Simply put, Gilkeson is too large. For most of its history, PDS has lived and thrived in buildings that are, comparatively, much smaller. Even in times of record enrollment, where both Gilkeson and Kenyon were at capacity, overhead costs associated with maintaining the property were not sustainable, and were a major contributing factor to the school’s closure in 2020. With the move to Kenyon, those expenses will be cut. Additionally, the sale of Gilkeson will provide cash that can be used as a runway to continue growing the school.
This financial cushion and these savings are important because, above all, what matters most to us is learning. Disproportionate spending on facilities means less allocations for instruction. Reducing those costs empowers us to give our faculty more support, newer materials, and increased off-campus opportunities, creating a better learning environment for our students in the process. This includes funding for scholarships, which will assist us in fostering a more socioeconomically diverse learning community, to the benefit of us all.
An entirely new situation
If you are still in the local area or have been in the loop since PDS’s reopening, this news may sound slightly familiar. In 2022, the town did intend to purchase our entire 35-acre campus—including both Gilkeson and Kenyon—in order to move its court, police department, and eventually town hall to the property. After various discussions among the Poughkeepsie community, that plan stalled.
One thing we want to make absolutely clear is that what is happening now is not what was proposed then. Thanks to diligent work by our Board of Trustees this past summer, the property has been subdivided, allowing us to shift operations to Kenyon while the town purchases Gilkeson and the adjacent athletic fields, moving only town hall to the premises. There will be no police station or court near our campus.
Maintaining a remarkable learning environment
A key condition of this purchase is that PDS will remain in Gilkeson through the end of this school year, providing stability for our students, faculty, staff, and families. The move to Kenyon will start this summer.
After settling into our new home, we will retain access to Gilkeson’s James Earl Jones Theater and gymnasium alongside the broader Poughkeepsie community, ensuring that our performing arts and athletics programs can continue to be exceptional.
Enhancing our programming
Since the launch of the PDS GROW strategic plan in 2024, we have sought to expand involvement with the local community, something the sale of Gilkeson to the Town of Poughkeepsie will greatly amplify. A major part of the plan centers on being a community school built around a ‘town square’ model, and residing adjacent to the actual town hall, while still in close proximity to the Boardman Road Branch Library and The Landing of Poughkeepsie, will make that vision even more of a reality.
Already, curricular partnerships and exciting learning opportunities with the town are in the works, making the move as much an expansion as a consolidation. Students will be connected to local officials to participate in advocacy and work that will help move Poughkeepsie forward, and be part of town recreational activities. While the lower school learns about the Hudson River, they’ll work with the people who help ensure it’s taken care of, and the middle school will have a new wealth of service learning work for a variety of causes. As we speak, even more is being planned by administration and members of the faculty.
All this to say, though we will no longer own Gilkeson, it will still certainly be a part of our learning environment.
A newly-furnished Kenyon
Kenyon is a beautiful old building that was originally a family home. After we purchased it from IBM in 1994, it was renovated extensively to be more conducive to high school learning. With all operations now moving there, it will again be thoughtfully updated to support younger students and new educational initiatives. Planned priorities include updated HVAC, roof repairs, new flooring, décor, technology upgrades, and purpose-built spaces for the lower school.
Moving forward together
Ultimately, what matters most in all of this are Poughkeepsie Day School students. This transition can give us the chance to build spaces and programs that truly serve them; where they are known, supported, and challenged in the ways that have made our school so special for 91 years. The move will enrich their educational experience, strengthen our community, and open new possibilities for learning and growth. We can’t wait.
Thank you for trusting us as we take this important step forward together. We will be sure to keep you informed as reimagined spaces take shape.
Sincerely yours,
Spiro Gouras
Head of School
Erik Huestis ’99
Chair, Board of Trustees