Rochester New York

There are 48 private schools in Rochester NY serving 7,856 students (compared to 109 public schools, serving 57,494 public students). About 12% of all K-12 students in Rochester attend private schools.

Private Schools are not subject to compulsory education laws and have selective admissions. They may be funded through tuition or student fees, though many also receive grants and private contributions.

Clarkson Academy

Clarkson Academy was founded in 1835 and is one of the oldest educational institutions in New York. It offers students a wide variety of courses that include rhetoric, philosophy, chemistry, geology, physiology, astronomy and botany.

The school offers unique academic programs and opportunities for students who want to become leaders in the community and around the world. The school also provides a high job placement rate after graduation.

Stone Academy

Stone Academy trains students to be licensed practical nurses and other medical professionals. The school’s three campuses are located in East Hartford, Waterbury and West Haven.

When the school closed, hundreds of students were left in limbo. They questioned why the for-profit nursing school suddenly shuttered without notice Schools in Rochester, New York. The State Office of Higher Education is evaluating the school’s records to determine whether their credits were valid and their money was protected.

But attorneys for the owners say the investigation isn’t a legal process and Stone Academy doesn’t have to hand over documents requested by the state. Attorney General William Tong is seeking a court order to force the owners to comply with his subpoena.

Seward Female Seminary

Among the many schools that were erected by the late Miss Seward was this institution, which was located on Alexander street in Rochester. It was a school for female students that taught both boarders and day-students.

The building was a large structure, sixty-four feet front and had handsome grounds surrounding it. It was a highly successful school, and was incorporated in 1838.

The founders of this school had a deep interest in the subject of education, especially for females. It was their wish that the seminary would be an institution where “females, with the blessing of God, could be prepared to discharge their numerous, arduous, and responsible duties.”

Livingston Park Seminary

A rather fashionable private boarding/day school, Livingston Park Seminary was in operation from 1858 to about 1935. This small anniversary book details the history of the school as well as the day-to-day activities of staff and students (past and present) in b/w photo-illustrated plates.

The building was named for James Livingston, one of the entrepreneurs who fashioned a fortune from milling, banking and speculative ventures in Rochester. He built one of the first grand mansions on the right side of Troup, and soon after sold it to businessman Joseph Strong, who three years later sold it for $10,000 to Dr. Frederick Backus, a prominent figure in civic and cultural affairs and an elected official when the City of Rochester was formed.

Monroe Academy

Monroe Academy is located on East Henrietta Road in Henrietta. It was built in 1826 by citizens of Henrietta who gathered subscriptions and contributed to the construction of the school.

The landscape remains relatively intact, with a fenced lot at the center and an asphalt-paved lot on each side. A few trees line the street along the front of the school.

The landscape also contains a historic baseball backstop that is bounded by a chain-link fence. Its presence is important because it was associated with the Monroe School and is linked to a landmark court decision in Topeka that changed the status of black children.

Rochester Seminary

A school of Baptist origins, Rochester Seminary has roots that date back 200 years. Its present-day small campus sits on a hill in Highland Park.

During the 19th and 20th centuries, several institutions merged to create the divinity school. These included the Hamilton Literary and Theological Institution (later Colgate University), a Baptist school from Hamilton, New York; the Baptist Missionary Training School; and the Crozer Theological Seminary.

The seminary has a long history of preparing men and women for ministry. In addition to educating priests, it was one of the first American seminaries to accept lay ministry.