Riverside Institute of Technology (formerly known as Riverside High School) was a public

high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...

located in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...

. It served Grades 9–12 and taught according to the

Board of Regents In the United States, a board often governs institutions of higher education, including private universities, state universities, and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual co ...

. Riverside closed in June 2019 after years of low academic performance and safety concerns.

History

Riverside High School began construction in the late 1920s and was completed in time for the 1930 school year. Beginning in 1993, the school also housed the Buffalo Academy of Math and Science a magnet school for Grades 7 and 8. In 1999, the two schools merged and the name of the school was changed to "Riverside Institute of Technology", however, the Grade 7 and 8 component only lasted for a few years. The building was renovated from 2008 to 2010. The new renovations included updated classrooms and improvements to the auditorium, as well as a new weight room, sports vailiion and football field. While the school was being renovated, 9th and 10th graders were temporarily housed at School 51 in nearby Black Rock, while 11th and 12th graders remained in the Riverside building. In 2015, Riverside Institute of Technology began phasing out due to low academic performance. The final Riverside class graduated in 2019. It was replaced by the new Riverside Academy High School, which opened in Fall 2017.

Former Principals

''Previous assignment and reason for departure denoted in parentheses'' *Charles W. Whitney–1930-1944 (Assistant Principal - Hutchinson Central High School, retired) *Raymond W. Spear–1944-1957 (Acting Principal - Bennett High School, retired) *Carl S. Walz–1957-1971 (Assistant Principal - Riverside High School, retired) *Michael J. Anelli–1971-1980 (Assistant Principal - East High School, named Principal of

City Honors School City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park, known colloquially as City Honors, or CHS, is a college preparatory school in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, New York (state), New York, United States. It is part of the Buffalo Public Schools system. The ...

) *Doris H. Erickson–1980-1985 (Assistant Principal - Southside Junior High School, named Principal of South Park Prep) *Nicholas F. DiPirro–1985-1987 (Assistant Principal -

Seneca Vocational High School Seneca Vocational High School, also known as Seneca Comprehensive High School and Seneca High School, is a former vocational high school located in Buffalo, New York. It was one of the first vocational schools built in Western New York. The buildi ...

, named Assistant Principal of Hutchinson Central Technical High School) *John J. Vella–1987-2004Mills, R. P. (2004).
New York State School Report Card Comprehensive Information Report.
' Albany: New York State Department Of Education. (Assistant Principal - Bennett High School,VELLA, John. (n.d.). ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved July 1, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2018/10/07/vella-john/ retiredBuffalo Public Schools (2004, August 25).
Meeting of the Board of Education: Administrative Appointments
'.) *Michael J. Mogavero–2004-2010 (Principal - Buffalo Traditional School,Buffalo City Schools. (2004)
Elementary Principal Transfers.
''Board Report'' (p. 3). Buffalo: Buffalo City Schools. named director of athletics for Buffalo Public Schools) *Denise E. Clarke–2010-2015 (Assistant Principal - Riverside Institute of Technology, named Principal of Lafayette High School) *Ella M. Dunne–2015-2017 (Instructional Specialist - Bennett High School, named Principal of The International Preparatory School) *Jerome J. Piwko–2017-2019 (Principal - Native American Magnet School, resignedRey, J. (2019, June 20). Principal at Riverside resigns amid Wingo gun flap. ''The Buffalo News''. Retrieved July 1, 2019, from https://buffalonews.com/2019/06/20/principal-at-riverside-resigns-amid-wingo-gun-flap/)

Notable alumni

* Joe Ehrmann – Former defensive tackle for the

Baltimore Colts The Baltimore Colts were a professional American football team that played in Baltimore from 1953 to 1983, when owner Robert Irsay moved the franchise to Indianapolis. The team was named for Baltimore's history of horse breeding and racing. It w ...

* Clifford Robinson – Former

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

player, notably played for the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...

* Mike Williams – Wide receiver for the

Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...

and

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in the National Football League

Academics

Riverside had three small learning communities within its school: The Academy of Entrepreneurship, the Academy of Finance, and the Academy of Health Sciences. Students earned internships, college credit, and job shadowing through these academies. If successful, they graduated with both a Regents Diploma and a CTE endorsement in their academy from Buffalo Public Schools. Riverside also had multiple community partners, including

Medaille College Medaille University was a private university, private college in Buffalo, New York. The Sisters of St. Joseph founded Medaille in 1937, naming it after their founder, Jean Paul Médaille. It later became nonsectarian and coeducational. The colle ...

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, Kaleida Health, and the National Academy Foundation. Riverside. (2012, August). Retrieved from http://www.buffaloschools.org/GuidanceDept.cfm?subpage=84143&school=52 In 1990, Riverside was named a School of Excellence by New York State for its high test scores and attendance. Hammersley, M. (1990, December 13). Schools in Buffalo, Ken-Ton districts achieve the state grade for excellence. ''The Buffalo News'' It held this distinction for a number of years, but was placed on New York State's list of Persistently Lowest Achieving schools in 2010 due to poor test results and graduation rates. Simon, P. (2010, January 22 22). 7 buffalo schools on state list face reforms - measures include changing staff, moving students. The Buffalo News, p. A1. This resulted in a number of changes at Riverside, including a new administration and grant funding from New York State.

References

External links

School Website
{{authority control Education in Buffalo, New York Educational institutions established in 1930 High schools in Buffalo, New York Public high schools in New York (state) 1930 establishments in New York (state)