Tappan Zee High School is a public high school located in Orangeburg, New York in Rockland County. The school serves students in grades 9–12, and is part of the South Orangetown Central School District. The school derives its name from the nearby Tappan Zee section of the Hudson River.
The school draws students from Orangetown, New York, which comprises the villages and hamlets of Blauvelt, Grandview, Orangeburg, Tappan, Palisades, Piermont, Upper Grandview, Sparkill, and portions of South Nyack.
As of the 2021–22 school year, the school had an enrollment of 945 students and 89.6 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.66:1. There were 144 students (15.2% of enrollment) eligible for free lunch, and 21 (2.2% of students) eligible for reduced-cost lunch.School data for Tappan Zee High School, National Center for Education Statistics. Accessed February 10, 2026. In 2006, the school dedicated new athletic fields and tennis courts, including an artificial turf football/lacrosse field and track. In 2019, the school replaced the artificial turf field that was installed in 2006 with a newer, more environmentally friendly, turf.
The principal is Melissa Luciano.Home Page, Tappan Zee High School. Accessed December 8, 2021.
Athletics Tappan Zee High School has teams in numerous sports.
Fall teams
Cross Country (varsity, girls' and boys' teams) Football (junior varsity (JV) and varsity, only boys' teams) Soccer (JV and varsity, girls' and boys' teams) Swimming (varsity, only girls' team with boys' team in winter) Tennis (JV and varsity, only girls' teams with boys' team in spring) Volleyball (JV and varsity, only girls' teams) Cheerleading (varsity, coed)
Winter teams
Basketball (Freshman, JV, and varsity boys' teams, JV and varsity girls' teams) Bowling (varsity, girls' and boys' teams) Fencing (JV and varsity for épée and foil, girls' and boys' teams) Ice hockey (JV and varsity) Skiing (intramural, boys' and girls' teams) Swimming (varsity, only boys' team with girls' team in fall) Indoor Track & Field (varsity) Wrestling (JV and varsity, only boys' teams) Cheerleading (varsity, coed)
Spring teams
Baseball (JV and varsity) Golf (varsity) Lacrosse (JV and varsity, girls' and boys' teams) Softball (JV and varsity) Tennis (JV and varsity, only boys' team with girls' team in fall) Outdoor Track & Field (varsity)
In addition to playing on a team, junior and senior varsity athletes can join VAASA, Varsity Athletes Against Substance Abuse.
Notable alumni
Salman Ahmad, musician Neil Berg, composer/lyricist Alan Jacobs, film director, screenwriter and producer Brian Jagde, opera performer Luba Mason (born 1960), actress, singer, songwriter, and dancer Brian O'Connell (born 1963), musician Hayden Panettiere, actress Michael Rispoli (born 1960), character actor who appeared in The Sopranos as Jackie Aprile, Sr.Rodriguez, Justin. "Actor trades Hollywood glitz for life in Pine Bush", Times Herald-Record, July 26, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2018. "Rispoli actually first heard of Pine Bush as a senior at Tappan Zee High School in 1977." Michael Salzhauer (born 1972), plastic surgeon Brooke Smith, actress Blaise Winter (born 1962), NFL player
Notable faculty Alen Hadzic, coach of the boys and girls varsity fencing team, and fencer; in 2023, Hadzic was banned from fencing and coaching fencing in the US for life by SafeSport, due to his sexual misconduct."Area fencers hone their edge in national competition," Our Town, October 21, 2015.
References
External links School web page