Dedham High School

Dedham High School Profile and History

The Dedham Public School System (Dedham Public Schools) is a PK12 graded school district in Massachusetts. It is the oldest public school system in the United States. On January 1, 1644, by unanimous vote, the Town of Dedham authorized the first taxpayer-funded public school in the United States, "the seed of American education." Other schools, including Boston Latin School and the Town of Rehobot h make similar claims, but Dedham's was the first to be supported exclusively by tax dollars. The first schoolhouse was built in present-day Dedham Square near the First Church by Thomas Thurston. The district operates seven schools. The Early Childhood Education Center housed at the Capen School serves students in pre-school and kindergarten. There are four neighborhood elementary schools: Avery, Greenlodge, Oakdale, and Riverdale. All four elementary schools feed into Dedham Middle School which houses grades six, seven, and eight, and Dedham High School serves students in grades nine through 12.