Pierson Middle-High School is a

middle Middle or The Middle may refer to: * Centre (geometry), the point equally distant from the outer limits. Places * Middle (sheading), a subdivision of the Isle of Man * Middle Bay (disambiguation) * Middle Brook (disambiguation) * Middle Creek ...

and

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

located in

Sag Harbor Sag Harbor is an incorporated village in Suffolk County, New York, United States, in the towns of Southampton and East Hampton on eastern Long Island. The village developed as a working port on Gardiners Bay. The population was 2,772 at the 2 ...

, Suffolk County,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. Serving students in grades 6 through 12, it is the sole

secondary school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., b ...

in the Sag Harbor Union Free School District. Pierson Middle-High School currently offers students the option to take Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. Pierson is one of only nine schools on Long Island to offer the IB Diploma Program. The school mascot is the "Whalers," paying homage to the village's history as a major

whaling Whaling is the hunting of whales for their products such as meat and blubber, which can be turned into a type of oil that was important in the Industrial Revolution. Whaling was practiced as an organized industry as early as 875 AD. By the 16t ...

port. Students play football at

East Hampton High School East Hampton High School is a high school in East Hampton, Suffolk County, New York, United States. Located on the east end of Long Island, the school is the easternmost high school in New York State. It is part of the East Hampton Union Free ...

as the Bonackers, in a consortium that also includes the Bridgehampton School. Bridgehampton in turn sends athletes from some other sports to play at Pierson.

History

The school was completed in 1908 at the cost of $102,000. The financing was gifted by Olivia Slocum Sage and was named for her maternal ancestor

Abraham Pierson Abraham Pierson (1646 – March 5, 1707) was an American Congregational minister who served as the first rector, from 1701 to 1707, and one of the founders of the Collegiate School — which later became Yale University. Biography He w ...

, one of the early European settlers of

Southampton Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...

. For the 2018 and 2019 seasons, low enrollment in East Hampton prompted Pierson to send its football players to Southampton High School.

Academics

In the 2009 ''

Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...

'' magazine's annual list of the Top 1200 American

High School A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

s, Pierson Middle-High School is ranked 676th. In 2015, Niche ranked Pierson Middle-High School 49th overall in New York State with an A+ overall rating. In 2015–2016, the Sag Harbor School District was designated as a Reward School by New York State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia. In 2015, Sag Harbor UFSD ranked #21 of all school districts on Long Island in average SAT score. In 2018, Pierson Middle School began offering a new course called “Preparing Learners for a New Tomorrow” or PLANT. This course asks students to assess the credibility of information, use quantitative reasoning, and "take ownership of their own learning.". In 2023, Pierson Middle High School adopted a cellphone ban in middle and high school. Students must use a Yondr pouch to secure their cell phones and smart watches at the start of each school day. The pouches are unlocked at dismissal.

Notable alumni

* Kyle McGowin, baseball player * Peter Browngardt, American animator, writer, voice actor, and producer *Sara Hartman, musician * Fred W. Thiele Jr., American politician * Jake Swirbul, co-founder of Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation * William Mulvihill, author, screenwriter, teacher, environmentalist, historian

References

Sag Harbor, New York Schools in Suffolk County, New York Public high schools in New York (state) 1907 establishments in New York (state) {{NewYork-school-stub