Valley Stream Central High School


Valley Stream Central High School is a public senior high school in the village of Valley Stream, New York on the South Shore of Nassau County. It is part of the Valley Stream Central High School District. Dr. Joseph Pompillo has been the Principal since 2001. According to U.S. News & World Report Central is the top performing High School in the District with the ranking of #103 in New York State compared to North's #138 and South's #131. Central has a graduation rate of above 95% and was recently recognized by New York State for having one of the highest graduation rates among men of color.

Performing Arts Program

Valley Stream Central High School is the only school in the Valley Stream Central High School District to house a performing arts program. The program, which is led by the District's "Fine and Performing Arts Department" director Adam Erdos offers students across the District grades 9-12 to take courses such as Theatre Arts, Dance, Voice Theatre, Dance Theatre, Acting, Musical Theatre, and Video Technology. The program is offered to students at Valley Stream North High School, Valley Stream South High School and Valley Stream Memorial Junior High School as well as Central students. To enter the program, you must fill out an application, which is provided on the District's website. Students from the other three schools are at Central for a portion of their day and then are either bussed or walk to their home school for the rest of their academic classes. The Performing Arts Program often puts on Dance Concerts and Showcases at Central's Bert Keller Auditorium, these performances are at night and are open to the public.

Career Prep Program

The Valley Stream Central High School District offers a wide variety of Career Prep Programs to its thousands of students, but similarly to Performing Arts, some of these programs are exclusively offered at Central. For example, Central is the only school in the district to house the Culinary Program and the Cosmetology Program. Other Career Prep Programs that students can take are Business and Technology classes and some Central students are a part of the Nassau County BOCES program, which provides vocational training at a different location.

Notable alumni