RHHS again named a NYSPHSAA School of Excellence after increasing scholar-athlete honorees

Red Hook High School again in 2025-26 counted itself among the New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Schools of Excellence. And, the number of students and Raiders teams earning scholar-athlete honors increased this year.
Each year, the governing body of scholastic sports in the state honors schools with teams that excel not only athletically, but academically.
A school is eligible to be named a School of Excellence if 75% of its varsity teams earned the NYSPHSAA’s Scholar-Athlete team distinction during the academic year. Scholar-Athlete team awards were given to any team in which 75% of the roster finished the season with a GPA of 90 or better.
At Red Hook, 22 of 24 varsity teams met that mark this year – two more than in 2024-25. It's the fourth consecutive year the school was honored.
"As a coaching staff, we talk to the kids about being good students and being in good standing in the building," Athletic Director Tom Cassata said, noting also the value of having teams that are mentally sharp. "It's no coincidence that when your teams academically are strong, athletically they are strong."
In all, Red Hook students earned Scholar-Athlete distinctions, finishing their season with a GPA of 90 or better, 274 times in 2025-26, again improving on previous years.
Across the state, 237 schools made the mark for the Schools of Excellence Award and 118 earned the Schools of Distinction Award, meaning every one of their teams earned Scholar-Athlete team distinctions. The schools receive their awards in the fall.
"The commitment demonstrated by our member schools to academic excellence continues to be one of the greatest strengths of educational-based athletics," said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA executive director. "These awards recognize entire school communities that value success in the classroom as much as success in competition."