About Orville A. Todd

Orville A. Todd, for whom the Spackenkill's district middle school is named, was the man that laid the foundation for the Spackenkill School District.

Mr. Todd was district principal during a time of great growth that ended with the creation of the district's own high school. Mr. Todd retired in 1974 - the year the first class graduated from Spackenkill High School.

Mr. Todd hired Andrew Manca, the district's previous superintendent. "He really set a standard for education in this district that we've all tried to model and maintain over the years," Manca said. Mr. Todd, Manca said, was a gentleman. "When you shook hands with him, you knew you had an agreement.."

Mr. Todd was a great influence on so many young people. Mr. Todd remained involved in student lives and he attended many class reunions. The Spackenkill School District continues to maintain the quest for excellence that Mr. Todd set when he first founded the district.

Note: Some of the details from this page were located in the January 03, 2003 edition of the Poughkeepsie Journal.