History

From its humble beginnings in 1984 in a trailer and 2 rented classrooms, Cardinal Hayes School has come a long way!  The decision to establish a specialized school for severely disabled young people was based on the pressing needs for such a facility.  There were not enough appropriate school opportunities for the children at Cardinal Hayes Home.

It was in 1995 that a permanent site for the school became available in the Village of Millbrook.  Cardinal Hayes purchased Parker Height Post No. 260, home of the local American Legion for over 40 years.  The building was renovated, providing accommodation for two groups of our most disabled children.

Over the years more classrooms were added as well as an all-purpose activity center to accommodate not only the children who reside at Cardinal Hayes Home but day students from the surrounding community.  In 2009 a new building was constructed providing additional classrooms and a therapy center, expanding our school from its original 1200 square feet to 22,000 square feet on 10 acres of wooded land.  The unique architecture of our school is specially designed to meet the needs of our kids – many windows to bring the beauty of the outdoors inside, fully accessible bathrooms and large open spaces for easy access by students using wheelchairs.