The district was created upon the centralization (consolidation) of local schools in 1956. Previously, Brunswick was serviced by twelve smaller districts, each usually made up of one single-room schoolhouse. Of those previous districts, only two of the original buildings exist in their original state.
Pre-centralization Upon the creation of the government of the Town of Brunswick in April 1807, three commissioners of schools were appointed. Their tasks were to develop schools within the town and offer funding using the Common School Fund, which the
New York State Legislature had set up in 1805 to help cover the costs of public education. In 1812, the legislature developed a school district system in which each district was self-governing. These districts were typically small by necessity, so that students could walk or ride to school in a reasonable time period each day. At the time, public schools were funded by a combination of population-based state reimbursement, taxes, and tuition paid by parents. In 1867, tuition was abolished, making public education free to all. At that time, attending school was voluntary, but by 1874, it became mandatory for students aged 8 to 14. Enforcement was sometimes difficult though, especially considering the agricultural economy that the area depended upon at the time. District #1 is located at the corner of Menemsha and Lansing Lanes and was commonly known as the Paul Springer School. The original schoolhouse was built in 1885 but burned down in 1970. The district became known as Brunswick Common School District after the Brunswick Central School District centralization. In the 1960s, students from the elementary school (the only building in the district) voted to name the school George Washington School. The district remained independent until merging into
Averill Park Central School District in 1995. District #2, known as the
Garfield School, is located at the corner of Moonlawn Road and
New York State Route 2 (Brunswick Road). The school was originally named for
President James A. Garfield, who occasionally taught nearby. It was owned by BCSD until the mid-1980s when it was transferred to the Town of Brunswick. It currently houses the Brunswick Community Library and Brunswick Historical Society and was added to the
National Register of Historic Places in 1988. District #3 was known as the White Church School or the Horace Mann School. Little more information is easily found about the school. District #4, known as the Pleasant Valley School, Rock Hollow School, or Cropseyville School, was located in the Pleasant Valley sector of Cropseyville on Brunswick Rd. This school was built in 1889 as a replacement for two nearby schools: one near the site of this school, and one on South Road. Today the building is a private residence. District #5 was originally serviced by the McKinley School, located on
New York State Route 7 (Hoosick Road), east of
New York State Route 142 (Grange Road), and west of Town Office Road. The building was built around 1872 and the building still stands, housing a local business. The replacement schoolhouse, known as the Lee School, was located at Keyes Lane and Merrill Avenue. It was constructed in 1953 but soon closed due to centralization. It was then sold to the Brunswick Center Fire Department and used as a banquet hall until it was demolished in 1997 to be replaced by a new town community center. District #6, most commonly known as the
Little Red Schoolhouse, but also sometimes known as the Lincoln School, Brick School, or Rocky Road School, is located at the corner of Buck Road and
New York State Route 278 (Brick Church Road). Built around 1830, the building is the oldest standing schoolhouse in Brunswick and is still owned by BCSD. It underwent renovations in the 1970s and received additional refurbishments in the latter half of the 2000s (decade). It was added to
National Register of Historic Places in 2008. District #7, known as the VanArnum School, was located on Grange Road north of Calhoun Drive. The school was closed and sold at
public auction in 1953. District #7 was centralized into Lansingburgh Central School District. District #8, located on Hoosick Road across from Mickle Hill Road, was known as the Haynerville School, most likely named for the hamlet. District #9, known as the Moody School, was located on Dater Hill Road. District #10, located on Brunswick Road, east of St. Mary's Cemetery entrance, was centralized into the Enlarged City School District of Troy . District #11, called the Sycaway School, was located on the corner of Hoosick Street and Lee Avenue. This district was consolidated into the Enlarged City School District of Troy and is the current site of School 18, one of that district's elementary schools. District #12 was known as the Tamarac School, which is the namesake of the current schools on the main campus. It was located on Camel Hill Road, off Tamarac Road. The school was built in 1864, but collapsed under the weight of snow during the winter of 1994–95.
Centralization In January 1945, the Town of Brunswick Trustees created a committee charged with gathering facts about school district centralization and reporting back to the community. In late 1945, the committee proposed a plan to the
New York State Education Department, which was approved. Unfortunately the plan was out of the scope of a reasonable budget. By late 1950, town
residents began commenting on the inadequacies of the then current
infrastructure, equipment, and services within their schools. In early 1952, the district superintendent created a committee made up of one member from each school district to reevaluate centralization. By July 1953, the committee was formed and a chairman elected. That August, committee members met with members of the Education Department to discuss school programs and expected expenditures. It is estimated that an average teacher's salary would be $3,750 in 1956. In March 1954, the Centralization Committee produced a pamphlet entitled Digest of Facts to inform the community of the project. In April 1954, a citizens' advisory committee was created, made up of 48 individuals, representing all districts involved in centralization. By August, the committee produced A Partnership in Education pamphlet to be distributed in the area. On October 8, 1956, the citizens' committee voted to centralize and the first board of education was elected.
"Brittonkill" While the official name of the district is that of the encompassing town, the name Brittonkill has been in use since 1956. The name is a combination of the names of the four main towns served by the district:
Brunswick, P
ittstown, Graf
ton, and Poesten
kill. The district held a competition in late 1955 to replace its name "Central School District No. 2 of the Towns of Brunswick, Grafton, Pittstown and Poestenkill". First prize was Brittonkill, submitted by Charles Meeson (also the district treasurer at the time); second prize was "Pittwick", a combination of Brunswick and Pittstown, submitted by Sally Parker; and third prize was "Rock Hollow", the name of a hamlet just east of Cropseyville, submitted (coincidentally) by both Cynthia Pope and Susan Kehn. The board of education did not adopt "Brittonkill" on the first attempt, voting four to four on January 12, 1956, Brittonkill is just a nickname, Brunswick Central School District is their legal name. Website is http://www.brunswickcsd.org. In addition, the Brittonkill Teachers' Association, Brittonkill PTSA, Brittonkill Educational Enrichment Program, and Brittonkill Education Foundation all make use of the name. Media and official references to the district typically use the name Brunswick (as with budget votes and school closings) and sometimes "Brunswick (Brittonkill)", although many times the district is referred to (incorrectly) as Brittonkill Central School District. ==Administration==