The first day of school across the Harrison Central School District is Wednesday, Sept. 2, with all six schools opening their doors for the 180-day, 2026-27 academic year.
Teachers report earlier. Superintendent's Conference Days on Monday, Aug. 31 and Tuesday, Sept. 1 mean staff will be in buildings before students arrive, according to the district's approved calendar.
The district runs six schools: Harrison High School, Louis M. Klein Middle School, Harrison Avenue Elementary, Parsons Memorial Elementary, Samuel J. Preston Elementary and Purchase Elementary. Purchase Elementary will have a new leader this fall. Jennifer Rinaldo was appointed principal by the Board of Education on May 6.
What's new this year
Construction from the 2023 bond is reshaping Harrison Avenue Elementary, where the existing library is being demolished to make room for a new addition. The board approved $477,800 in portable classrooms from Nadler Modular to keep instruction running during the work.
The board also approved an agreement with the Town of Harrison at its May 20 meeting to place School Resource Officers in district schools for 2026-27, and extended the food service contract with Aramark Educational Services through June 30, 2027.
Harrison will host a new four-school ice hockey merger with Blind Brook, Rye Neck and Port Chester this winter, also approved at the board's May 6 meeting.
Bus and transportation
First Student handles district busing. Parents of kindergartners and first graders must be present at the bus stop to receive their child. Students in grades 2 through 12 will be released at their assigned stop without a parent present, according to the district's transportation page. For late-running buses, call First Student at 914-668-2700.
Key September dates
- Sept. 2 — First day of school
- Sept. 7 (Labor Day) — No school
- Sept. 12–13 (Rosh Hashanah) — No school
- Sept. 21 (Yom Kippur) — No school
- Sept. 25 — K-12 early dismissal
Harrison High School's Open House is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m., according to the HHS principal's page.
Registration
Families new to the district can register online at harrisoncsd.org/parents/registration. Registrar Michelle Marchese is available at (914) 630-3382.
The district enrolled 3,803 students in 2024-25, a record at the time. Updated enrollment figures for 2026-27 have not yet been released. The last day of school is Friday, June 25, 2027.
