S. S. Seward Institute is the secondary school in the Florida Union Free School District in Orange County, New York, United States. It is located along Main Street (NY 17A/94) in the village of Florida and referred to locally as just "Seward".
The student body consists of grades 6-12, drawn from Florida and surrounding portions of the towns of Chester, Goshen and Warwick.
The school gets its name from Samuel S. Seward, who settled in the region in the early 19th century and established both a medical practice and a mercantile business. Seward was also active in politics, serving as a member of the New York State Assembly in 1804 and, for many years, as a judge in the Orange County Court. In 1846, Seward started the school with an endowment of $20,000. One of his sons, William Henry Seward, attended one of the institute's predecessors for a time, and later began a career in public service that culminated in the purchase of Alaska while Secretary of State. A memorial to him is located on Main Street in front of the school.
Extracurricular Activities Athletics As of 2025-26, Seward offers the following interscholastic athletic teams competing as the Spartans: Sport Season Gender separation Level Co-operative Soccer Fall Boys, Girls Varsity, JV, Modified Cross Country Fall Varsity, Modified Volleyball Fall Girls Varsity, JV, Modified Swimming Fall Girls Varsity with Goshen Football Fall Varsity, Modified with Chester Academy Basketball Winter Boys, Girls Varsity, JV, Modified Cheerleading Winter Varsity Swimming and Diving Winter Boys Varsity with Goshen Indoor Track and Field Winter Varsity with Chester Academy Baseball Spring Varsity, JV, Modified Softball Spring Varsity, JV, Modified Lacrosse Spring Girls Varsity with Chester Academy Outdoor Track and Field Spring Varsity
The Spartans have won state titles in: 1986 - Soccer (Girls) 1987 - Soccer (Girls) 1999 - Baseball 2003 - Basketball (Boys) 2007 - Soccer (Girls) 2008 - Soccer (Girls)
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