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Geneva, NY

Education

An Enriching Experience

Education has always been an important focus of the Geneva community. Residents benefit from a high-quality public school district, along with private schools and various opportunities for higher learning after graduation.

Geneva City School District
The Geneva City School District educates the children of both the City and Town of Geneva as well as portions of neighboring communities. The district has two elementary schools, including Head Start, housed in the North Street building; it also includes a combined middle and high school. A full-time instructional staff of 209 members and 156 full-time support staff members keep the system running smoothly.

Approximately 2,600 students are enrolled in grades K–12. Average class size in grades K–6 is 22 students, while classes for grades 7–12 average 19 students. Students’ standardized test scores meet or exceed county and state averages, and approximately 90 percent of graduating seniors go on to attend some type of higher learning institution. Every classroom is equipped with at least five networked computers.

Enrichment programs are offered for students at all levels, including advanced placement courses in language arts, science, history and mathematics. Career-oriented educational programs and vocational offerings are also available. Students participate in extracurricular activities that include nearly all sports, as well as marching band, jazz ensemble, Varsity Singers, a student broadcasting system, yearbook, language clubs and more. For more information on the Geneva City School District, please visit www.genevacsd.org.

Private Schools
Geneva residents can also choose to send their children to private school; a list of options is available on the Chamber’s Web site at www.genevany.com.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith (HWS) Colleges are coordinate liberal arts colleges offering an array of largely interdisciplinary degree programs to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students in Geneva, New York. The students who attend, representing 38 states and 18 countries, are afforded opportunities for small classes; rich, one-on-one interaction with teaching faculty; and robust academic choices. Known for being “ferociously and totally liberal arts,” the Colleges strive to ensure that students acquire an understanding of human endeavor across a broad spectrum that encompasses the humanities and the physical and social sciences. To accomplish this, HWS offers a curriculum that is rich and varied in a residential campus setting that is as vibrant as it is beautiful.

Hobart and William Smith enjoy particular distinction in the areas of internationalism and community service. They rank among the top schools in the nation for the percentage of enrolled undergraduates who study abroad. A majority of off-campus programs are designed and staffed by HWS faculty. The Colleges also maintain a community service office, which, working with the faculty, creates opportunities of co-curriculum. Both the study-abroad program and the campus’ commitment to community service are bolstered by HWS President Mark D. Gearan, who previously served as the Director of the Peace Corps.

For more information about Hobart and William Smith Colleges, call (315) 781-3540 or visit www.hws.edu.

Finger Lakes Community College
Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC), located in nearby Canandaigua, offers classes and support services at the FLCC Geneva Extension Center. The FLCC Geneva Extension Center is a good place to start a degree program or to take a course for self enrichment. In addition to day and evening credit classes, students may take GED, ESL, BOCES and non-credit enrichment courses. Academic and personal counseling, as well as an academic support center offering tutoring and library services, are also available.

The Geneva Center has a very active, student-run social board that sponsors a variety of activities. Among sports offered by FLCC are baseball, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, women’s cross country, men’s cross country, women’s lacrosse, men’s lacrosse, women’s soccer, men’s soccer, softball and woodsmen.

Other Higher Learning Choices
Other fine institutes of higher learning within an hour’s drive of Geneva include:

• Syracuse University, LeMoyne College and Onondaga Community College in Syracuse
• Rochester Institute of Technology, University of Rochester, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher College, Roberts Wesleyan College and Monroe Community College in Rochester
• Cornell University and Ithaca College in Ithaca
• Keuka College in Keuka Park
• Wells College in Aurora