The New York State Public High School Athletic Association recognized Rhinebeck High School as a School of Excellence for the 2023-2024 school year.
“It’s very gratifying,” said Edwin Davenport, high school principal. “It represents an enormous amount of work from our students, our coaches our teachers and support from our families. It’s really an honor to be recognized in this way and to be able to celebrate our student-athletes.”
To qualify as a School of Excellence, a school must have 75% or more of its varsity teams receive the NYSPHSAA Scholar-Athlete team award during the school year. The following Rhinebeck varsity teams received the Scholar-Athlete team award for maintaining a grade point average of 90 or better: boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, boys golf, girls volleyball, girls swimming and diving, girls basketball, boys and girls outdoor track and field, boys tennis, flag football and baseball.
"The concept of being a student-athlete is embraced by the students, coaches, teachers, and administrators at Rhinebeck,” said Rhinebeck Athletic Director Stephen Boucher. “Each part of that team works hard to ensure that what happens in the classroom is as important as what happens on the course, court, field, track, in the pool, or on the river."
This is not the first time Rhinebeck athletes have been recognized by the NYSPHSAA for academic excellence. The school achieved School of Distinction honors in 2020-2021 and 2022-2023, and School of Excellence honors in 2019-2020 and 2021-2022.
Rhinebeck earned School of Distinction honors for having all varsity teams receive the Scholar-Athlete team award for that given school year.