Early Schools - Main Street School

This marker is located on Monell Avenue at the Northwest corner of the Islip Public Library property. (Marker research by Robert H.P. Finnegan)

You can visit it now using Google Street View!

MAIN STREET SCHOOL

Long Island Star-Journal; June 24, 1961

Prom aboard a 'Slow Train to Montauk'

Islip HIgh School seniors wave goodbye as they set out on thier "Slow Train to Montauk." The train - a rolling senior prom designed to eliminate the danger of after-prom drinking parties - made the 73 mile run from Islip to Montauk between midnight and dawn.

Bob Kleinhans and Caroline Visek nap after the festivities. Special buses were waiting at Montauk Surf and Cabana Club for a sunrise swim and breakfast. The train highballed it back to Islip after breakfast.

Judy Kotaser and Jim Powers dance on the prom train. A four-piece rock 'n' roll band and an electric organ provided music. A bar car provided soft drinks, hot dogs and hamburgers.

Islip Bulletin; October 4, 1962

Islip Votes 2-1 For New High School
But Sinks Plans For Swimming Pool

Islip - Construction of a $4 million high school, to accomodate 1,200 students - but without a proposed swimming pool is expected to get underway here by next spring.

Last Saturday voters of the school district gave two-to-one approval of the "desparately needed" high school but swamped a separate proposition which would have provided a $268,000 swimming pool for students' use.

The vote was 1,242 for the high school building program to 642 in opposition. The swimming pool proposition was handily defeated 1,137 to 777.

The district tax rate is expected to increase from $6.91 to $7.61 per $100 of assessed valuation as the result of the vote Saturday. Had the swimming pool been added, another 11 cent tax rate increase loomed.

The new high school will be built ona 57-acre tract of land between Montauk Highway and Union Avenue and between Saxton and North Ocean avenues.

At present, the district has a school enrollment of 2,245 and by 1965, when the new high school is expected to be occupied, the figure is expected to reach 3,200. At that time, the present high school on Montauk Highway is slated to become an elementary school.

Next year, the district faces the likelihood of renting facilities for some high school classes.

Only West Islip and Brentwood High Schools have swimming pools in Suffolk County. Numerous other districts have had propositions to provide such facilities defeated in recent years. The new Connetquot High School in Sayville will be equipped with a pool.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle; May 8, 1897

ISLIP HIGH SCHOOL WINS.

Sayville High School's Track Team Meets an Overwhelming Defeat at Oakwood Park.

The East Hampton Star; June 15, 1928

Islip's Track Team Defeats Babylon

The Islip High School track team finished its track season by defeating the Babylon High team 61 to 26, and establishing two records at the Islip Athletic Field at Islip last Wednesday afternoon.

In 1962, a vote was taken to build a new High School, which now stands on Union Avenue. Information describing that vote and other periodical information of the past are shown here.
Once the new school was built, the intention was to use 401 Main Street as an elementary school.
Following that construction, the Town began to sponsor various events in the building.
The building was eventually sold to the Town of Islip and it has been the Town Hall - West since.

The original Main Street School at 401 Main Street appears in historical periodicals to have been heavily focused on sports in addition to education.

Brooklyn Daily Eagle; April 12, 1935

25 Answer Call For Islip Tennis

Twenty-five boys are candidates for the Islip High School tennis team, headed by Blondie Lange, Bud Phelan and Chet Koop, representatives from last year's squad. The new candidates include Isaacs, Silkworth. Chamberlain, Rut, Knadle, Smisek, Garben, Raynor. Altmar, DeCarmine, P. Danish. Robinson, Peterson. Goldsworth and Riedel.

It is expected that with so much competition this year Islip will have one of the strongest teams to enter in the county tournament. The tennis season opens April 29 with Kings Park and will close June 13 with Babylon. The annual Spring tennis tournament for the Islip High School boys will get under way this week when the drawings for the first round have been completed and posted.

Lange, Phelan and Koop are the seeded veterans.