Syosset High School (SHS) is a public high school located in Syosset, New York, United States, in Nassau County, on Long Island. It serves as the public high school for residents of the Syosset Central School District. Syosset High School is the winner of numerous accolades, and as of 2024 was ranked the #12 high school in New York and #128 in the United States by niche.com. As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 2,234 students, with approximately 559 students per graduating class, and 214.9 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. As of 2024, the student body had approximately 49.2% minority enrollment; 50.8% of students were White, while 42.0% were Asian, 5.0% were Hispanic, 1.3% were Two or More Races, and 0.7% were Black. There were 213 students (9.5% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch and 20 (0.9% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.

Overview

The school district as a whole was the 2002 winner of the Kennedy Center Alliance for Arts Education Network and National School Boards Association Award, which honors school districts for excellence in arts education. Syosset was also named a Grammy Signature school for its music programs in orchestra, band, and chorus. In 2010, it was rated 14th in the country for music education by the National Association for Music Education. Syosset High School ranked 143rd of 1600+ schools listed in Newsweek's 2010 Best High Schools list. Eleanor Roosevelt was among the first notable people to make a personal appearance in the auditorium. In April 2007, the school's Quiz Bowl team won an online national championship.

Castle Program

The Castle Program is designed for students (non-special education) who need a different environment in order to succeed. These students typically have a history of poor class and school attendance. They meet in a separate setting with small class sizes and a close-knit team of teachers who focus on "realistic expectations." Participation in this program is voluntary.

WKWZ

WKWZ, 88.5 FM, is a broadcasting station owned and operated by the Syosset Central School District that operates from 2:30–11:00 pm Monday through Friday. It is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). WPOB broadcasts on the same frequency from 7:00–2:30 from Plainview-Old Bethpage John F. Kennedy High School, and is the sister station to WKWZ. The General Manager is, with all other positions (other than General Manager, Station Supervisor and Chief Engineer) operated by students in the school, with positions such as Station Managers, Music Director, Sports Director, Traffic Director, Program Director, Community News Director, and Organizational Supervisors.

Sports

Substitute Enrichment Program

In the 1970s, SHS was known for a unique program called Substitute Enrichment Program, considered innovative at the time. Rather than call in substitute teachers, the funds that would have gone to pay the sub were used to help bring in special guest speakers and class-long programs. When a teacher was absent, students had the option to attend the Sub Program or go to study hall. Run by a staff advisor and a team of student volunteers, the programming was often quite notable. At times, teachers worked the program's contents into their class and brought their classes to the session. Students that attended SHS in the early 1970s remember seeing Issac Asimov, talking with the late Harry Chapin in the "Little Theater." Programming included sports figures, artists, even learning to decorate cakes.

Breaking Borders

In the 2010s, Syosset students created a program titled, Breaking Borders. This program works to mitigate the racial and socioeconomic boundaries on Long Island. Its mission statement reads, "Breaking Borders is a leadership program that aims to eliminate ethnic, socio-economic, racial, and religious barriers which separate students from different Long Island districts. Through structured conversations with students from other school districts, Breaking Borders enables its members to challenge their biases and opinions by exposing them to new perspectives on important issues, such as race, religion, gender, and privilege". When asked about why Breaking Borders was created, the founders noted that Long Island is one of the most segregated parts of the United States due to a long history of racism due to housing and community planning, and that in the 21st Century that should be fixed. The name Breaking Borders comes from the idea that students work to "break" the "borders" between their peers from various communities around Long Island. Today, the program has significantly grown to include schools from all around Long Island. Some of the schools include Freeport, Elmont, Massapequa, Division High School, and MacArthur High School. Today, the program is more successful than ever as student leaders plan multi-school meetings once a month where members of the program can speak to each other and work to "break borders."

Notable alumni

In popular culture

Syosset High was often referenced in Mort Drucker's artwork for MAD Magazine.