It was founded in 1876 as a boys' preparatory school for Cornell University.[1] At this time, Universities typically required students to be proficient in Latin and Greek. However, students from rural areas often did not have access to instruction in these subjects. Some early members of the Cornell faculty became concerned about the quality of education available to such students and founded Cascadilla School to address this inequity. However, students also pursued athletic activities such as football and crew and created yearbooks to record their activities.
Current headmistress Patricia Kendall congratulates a graduating senior of the class of 2005.
Shortly after the First World War, the school fell on hard financial times. They were forced to sell several buildings and parcels of land, including the Cascadilla School Boathouse, which still stands and is the centerpiece of Stewart Park. The building immediately south of the main classroom building once housed the dormitory, a dining hall, and a gymnasium but now has been remodeled to serve as an apartment building and is privately owned and operated.
In the later part of the 20th century, headmaster Maxwell Kendall began to accept female students, created a board of trustees for the school, made Cascadilla independent of (although still affiliated with) Cornell University, obtained accreditation from the New York State Board of Regents, obtained not-for-profit status, and marketed the school to international students with great success.
Cascadilla School students make frequent use of the Cornell University libraries for study space and research. As shown here, they receive a special orientation to the library system each year.
His son, John Kendall, a former history and math teacher at the school, later took over as headmaster and successfully opened the school up to students looking for an accelerated approach to their education. The accelerated program allows students to earn one unit of credit in one semester. In 1999 John Kendall's wife, Patricia Kendall, officially became the dean of students, and in 2001, she took over as headmistress, a position in which she serves to this day.
Between 40 and 60 students from ten different countries are guided by a faculty of twelve teachers, many of whom hold advanced degrees. Typically, Cascadilla School students go on to four-year colleges such as Binghamton University, Georgetown University, and New York University. Approximately 3,750 students have attended the Cascadilla School since 1876.[2]
Cascadilla School students are active in the surrounding community. As shown here, two students volunteer at a local day care center. Community service is a special focus of the school.
