The Storm King School (SKS) is an independent coeducational boarding and day school in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, United States. Established in 1867, it is one of New York's oldest boarding schools. It is a college preparatory school for students in grades 8 to post-graduate, with an enrollment of 185 and 37 faculty living on or near campus through the year.
The school enrolls students from 25 countries. Seventy-five percent of students are boarding, and 25% are day students. Fifty-three percent are male and 47% female.
The school is accredited by the New York Association of Independent Schools, and is a member of the New York State Association of Independent Schools, the National Association of Independent Schools, the College Board, and other education organizations.
A 15-member board of trustees governs the school.
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Location
The Storm King School is in Orange County, about an hour's drive north of New York City. It sits approximately 900 feet above the west bank of the Hudson River, on a spur of Storm King Mountain, with views of the Shawangunk Mountains and distant Catskills. It adjoins Black Rock Forest Nature Preserve to the south.
The school lies in the Hudson Valley between West Point and Newburgh. The nearby Storm King Art Center is an outdoor sculpture museum with work by world-class sculptors and artists.
History
The Storm King School began in 1867 as the Cornwall Heights School. Louis P. Ledoux, a graduate of Amherst College and Union Theological Seminary, and a pastor of the Cornwall Presbyterian Church, founded the school after requests that he establish "a Christian school in the home of a Christian gentleman." Ledoux purchased Wood Farm on the northern slope of Storm King Mountain, where he prepared young men for New England colleges until 1872, when he sold his interest in the school to Oren S. Cobb.
Cobb was headmaster for 15 years until 1889, when the school was sold to Carlos H. Stone. During Stone's 29-year leadership, the school saw much growth, including increased enrollment and an enlarged physical plant. In 1914, the school was incorporated under New York State law and renamed the Stone School.
In 1923, during the tenure of headmaster Alvan P. Duerr, the school's name was changed to Storm King School. In 1928, the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York chartered SKS as a tax-exempt educational institution.
From 1932 to 1951, throughout the austere years of the Depression and World War II, SKS was led by headmaster Anson Barker and benefited from the patronage and participation of several prominent families who lived on the mountain, including the Abbotts, Ledouxs, Matthiesens, Partridges, Smidts and Stillmans.
Margaret Clark, the school's first female teacher (primarily in art), retired in 1938 after over 40 years at SKS. Her design of the school's crest, initially created for the student publication The Echo, was later adopted as the school's official emblem.
During the 1950s and 1960s, the school saw considerable growth thanks in part to Stephen P. Duggan, an attorney and long-time member and chairman of the Board of Trustees who owned property adjacent to the school. He oversaw the rebuilding of SKS's then 44-acre campus, including construction of The Ogden Library (1958), Dyer Hall (1958), Highmount Dormitory (1958), Dempsey Dormitory (1959), Stillman Science Building (1960–61) and a new gymnasium (1963).
In 1967 the school celebrated its 100th anniversary. It was the culmination of a nearly decade-long modernization project championed by chairman Duggan and successive SKS headmasters Burke Boyce (1952–1956), Warren Leonard (1956–1966) and Frank Brogan (1966–1974). During centenary celebrations, ambassador-at-large Averell W. Harriman dedicated the new Walter Orr Student Commons.
Signature programs
The Capstone Project is a voluntary, independent research project beginning in the spring of the junior year and completed in the fall of the senior year. It synthesizes learning from previously completed courses while focusing on the school's bedrock Skills and Knowledge for Success (S.K.S.).
Domestic & International Travel complements the School's academic curriculum and community service program.
Co-curricular activities
The school requires students to participate in afternoon activities during each of its three athletic seasons, choosing among interscholastic athletics, the arts, outdoor education, and other programs. Athletics are organized through the Hudson Valley Athletic League and the New England
Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC); the school fields teams at the varsity, junior varsity, and club levels across roughly 19 sports and activities.
Student organizations include Model United Nations, student government, a student newspaper, an outdoor and adventure program, and a range of clubs and affinity groups. Students are expected to complete community service annually, and the school schedules weekend trips to cultural and recreational sites in New York City and the surrounding Hudson Valley. Year-end recognition for participation is given at the school's Afternoon Activity Awards, which include the Pentagonal Award, presented since 1953 to graduating seniors who have competed in varsity athletics across five seasons.
Arts
The Storm King School offers instruction in visual and performing arts as part of its curriculum. Course offerings include studio art, ceramics, photography, filmmaking, fashion design, acting, stagecraft, music, voice, and dance. Arts facilities include the 230-seat Walter Reade Jr. Theatre and the Allison Vladimir Art Center, the latter housing a digital design lab, a ceramics studio, and a 3D printer.
Private music instruction is available to students. The school is a member of the New York State School Music Association.
Athletics
The Storm King School has a full athletic curriculum and competes in the New England Prep School Athletic League and competes in 18 different sports and activities. Storm King fields 26 teams at the varsity, junior varsity, and club level and is a member of The Hudson Valley Athletic League (HVAL) and The New England Private School Athletic Council (NEPSAC). Storm King is a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance.
Fall sports: boys and girls soccer, boys and girls cross country, girls volleyball
Winter sports: boys and girls basketball, bowling, E-sports, fencing
Spring sports: boys and girls lacrosse, baseball, boys volleyball, boys and girls tennis, mountain biking, Ultimate
Club sports: yoga, rock climbing, bowling, fitness
Residential life
About 70 percent of the school's students live on campus. A commuter rail station is a short drive away, and the Metro North train connects to Grand Central Terminal in less than one hour.
In 2026, the Storm King School enrolled students from 25 countries.
Black Rock Forest Consortium
The school is a member of the Black Rock Forest Consortium, which administers the Black Rock Forest, a 3,830-acre wilderness adjacent to the campus, which the school also utilizes for its science, environmental and recreational programs. The Head of School is a vice president and a member of the Executive Committee of the Consortium.
Notable alumni
Cara Castronuova (1998), boxer, two-time Golden Gloves winner, trainer on the NBC's The Biggest Loser
Frederick Fox, designer
Mac Gayden (1958), country music star, best known as writer of the song "Everlasting Love"
Jack Hemingway (1941), writer, conservationist, son of Ernest Hemingway
Sammy Mejia (2003), professional basketball player, 2nd-round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons
David Parks (1969), photographer, film director, publicist and author
Wally Pfister (1979), Academy Award-winning cinematographer and director
Tom Price (1951), Olympic rower who competed for the U.S. at the 1952 Olympics
Walter Reade Jr. (1935), president of the Walter Reade Organization, movie theater owner/operators and film distributors; namesake of the school's theater
Gary Springer (1972), actor and publicist
Balazs Szabo (1963), Hungarian-born artist and author
Robert Toricelli (1970), former U.S. congressman and senator from New Jersey
Whiting Willauer (1923), former U.S. ambassador to Honduras and founder of Civil Air Transport
Steven Zirnkilton (1976), voice-over actor, known for providing the opening narration of all U.S. shows in the Law & Order franchise
Notable faculty
Burke Boyce (Headmaster 1952–1956), Olympic fencer, competed for the U.S. at the 1924 Olympics; an integral part of developing the school's fencing program, which continues to this day