South Side Middle School is a public school that serves nearly 900 students in grades 6-8. It is part of the Rockville Centre Union Free School District and is one of few middle schools in New York state to get a distinguished GreatSchools rating of 8 out of 10. The school is led by Principal Shelagh McGinn and has more than 80 full-time teachers. The core subjects are taught at South Side, along with music, art, Strategies for Life, Strategies for Research, computer education and Exploratory 6, a program that exposes students to real life tasks that require them to apply critical thinking and processing skills. South Side also has junior varsity and varsity football, lacrosse, tennis, track, baseball and softball teams, as well as a variety of clubs.
Named after a former president of the Board of Education, Wilson Elementary School serves grades kindergarten through fifth. It offers a band and orchestra program, and fifth graders must participate in a health and wellness initiative. Wilson provides special services to students with a psychiatrist and social worker on premises. The principal is Thomas Ricupero.
South Side High School, which is led by Principal Dr. Carol Burris, is ranked as one of the top high schools in the country, according to a study done by U.S. News and World Report. It serves a little more than 1,000 students, grades nine through twelfth. It is part of the Rockville Centre Union Free School District and employs more than 100 teachers.
South Side High School also boasts the International Baccalaureate program, a comprehensive two-year program for juniors and seniors that entails course studies in six academic groups, with at least three of those being higher level courses. South Side has 26 IB offerings.
South Side also has Greenhouse, a program that serves roughly 40 struggling students in grades nine through twelfth, which helps those with poor motivation or behavioral problems graduate. It also offers a variety of junior varsity and varsity sports, as well as myriad clubs and extracurricular activities.
Floyd B. Watson Elementary School has been serving local students between kindergarten and fifth grade since 1953. Its current principal is Joan Waldman. The school offers health and wellness initiatives for students as well as a maturation education program. A number of extracurricular activities are offered including math olympiads, intramural sports and band. Its facilities include a library, an auditorium and a computer lab.