Rising seniors at PDS will be able to attend Bard, located in Dutchess County in Annandale-on-Hudson, on a commuter basis beginning in September and will earn a high school diploma and college credits through courses of study modeled on Bard’s early college strategy, school officials said.
“It is vital that we reach out as neighbors to be of help in these difficult times,” said Bard College President Leon Botstein.
The students will be able to attend the college for the same tuition as they paid at the Poughkeepsie Day School, school officials said.
Bard has decades of experience in offering a college education to high school-age students. From Bard College at Simon’s Rock to a national network of Bard High School Early Colleges with seven highly successful urban schools in six states, Bard is uniquely qualified to present this opportunity, Botstein said.
“It is a sad day when a valued and long-standing member of the Hudson Valley educational community closes its doors,” said Bard’s Dean of the College Deirdre d'Albertis. “As a parent of two children who began their elementary schooling at PDS, I’m pleased that the College is in a position to offer a path for these students to complete their last year of high school with access to the first-year curriculum at Bard.”
The school, which has served the community for 86 years, said it is closing due to declining revenues and the effects COVID-19 has had on the institution and fundraising. They will officially close at the end of the school year.
Poughkeepsie Day School students and families interested in pursuing this opportunity should contact Bard’s Dean of Studies David Shein via email at shein@bard.edu.
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