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Welcome To RCK
Roy C. Ketcham was President of the Board of Education, a member of the Board for approximately 25 years. He was part of the centralization movement of the Wappingers School district in 1937. As a result of the considerable population growth of the 1950’s and 1960’s, a new senior high school was built and opened to students in the fall of 1962. The new school was named in honor of the prestigious citizen of our community.
In July of 1985 Mr. Ketcham was named in a Poughkeepsie Journal poll as one of the ten most influential “movers and shakers” in Dutchess County. He was the guest speaker at our class of 1987 (25th Anniversary class) graduation. In December 1989 Mr. Ketcham passed away leaving a void in the Southern Dutchess Community.
The Wappingers Central School District is one of the largest school districts in New York State with an enrollment of over 10,000 students. The District covers 110 square miles in southern Dutchess County and serves a residential suburban community with a population of approximately 75,000. A large percentage of our residents are college graduates engaged in professional careers. Our community is rich in retail and professional employment opportunities. IBM Corporation is a major local employer, along with other computer-related and “high tech” manufacturing companies. New York City is within commuting distance. Vassar College, Marist University and Dutchess Community College are located in nearby Poughkeepsie. Other institutions of higher learning in the area include Bard College, Mount Saint Mary College, the State University of New York at New Paltz, and the Culinary Institute of America.
Ninety-five percent of district faculty hold a Master’s degree or higher and nearly fifty percent have ten or more years of teaching experience. The student-to-teacher ratio at Ketcham is approximately 15:1.
Roy C. Ketcham High School offers a complete range of extracurricular programs in which a majority of our student body is actively involved. Approximately thirty-five teams and more than thrity clubs involve students in special interest areas including intershcolastic sports, drama, music, art, literature, journalism, business, government, debate, and academic pursuits. In addition, graduates logged over 15,000 hours of community service both as a requirement to graduate and to lend a hand to the community.
Our school has been characterized for years by a tradition of excellence. In 2025 RCK had a graduation rate of 95.3%. The Class of 2025 had 415 graduates. 87% continued their formal education full time, 49% enrolled in four-year colleges and universities, 36% enrolled in two-year colleges, and 4% in vocational schools. Of the other graduates, 2% enlisted in the military and 9% entered the workforce. There were seven recipients of the New York State Regents Scholarship for Acadmic Excellence. 37% received Regents Diplomas with Advanced Designation, 57% received Regents Diplomas and 6% received Local Diploma, CDOS or other certification. We had 7 National Merit Scholar Commended students and 1 Semi-finalist.