Mission Statement
The Mission of the Chatham Central School Community is to nurture and challenge
students to become self-directed learners who contribute positively to a culturally diverse world.
Welcome to the Chatham Central School District
Situated in the heart of scenic Columbia County, we serve students from the towns of Chatham, Ghent, Canaan, Austerlitz, and parts of Kinderhook and New Lebanon. Our student population in grades K-12 is approximately 1,500.
We have three school buildings. The Mary E. Dardess Elementary School serves grades K-4, Chatham Middle School serves grades 5-8, and Chatham High School serves grades 9-12. In addition, our school district owns and operates the venerable Chatham Public Library, an original Andrew Carnegie gift, which offers a full range of modern library services to the community.
Class sizes at Chatham are low, averaging about 19 to 21 students. Student achievement is commendable. Curriculum at our Elementary and Middle Schools has been fully revamped to align with New York State Learning Standards, and our students consistently surpass State averages in performance on the many new State assessments. At Chatham High School students can choose from a full range of courses, including career and technical offerings as well as Advanced Placement and university-level courses. Chatham graduates attend some of the finest colleges in the nation, including, for example, Columbia University, Cornell, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Bard, Brown University, Dartmouth, Vassar and the University at Albany.
Chatham has a long history of commitment to the arts. We offer full programs in strings, band, choral music, and visual arts. Students in Middle School and High School participate in two major theater productions in each building annually. They can also participate in their choice of ten interscholastic sports programs, as well as in clubs with themes ranging from environmental awareness to Students Against Destructive Decisions.
The key to much of our success is the active involvement of our parents. At every level our parents participate in various ways, from serving on schoolwide planning teams to providing classroom assistance and supporting enrichment and co-curricular activities.
We like to think of Chatham as a district which celebrates its past while preparing for its future. We cherish the Public Library with its authentic Tiffany window, and we vigorously celebrate Arbor Day, as we have for over one hundred years. At the same time, we are completing technology and facility upgrades which will help us to prepare citizens who can confidently compete for positions of leadership in the future of our community and of the world.
Questions? Comments? Please Email us at
Chatham Central Schools