Riverview High School is a four-year

public high school State schools (in England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand) or public schools (Scottish English and North American English) are generally primary or secondary schools that educate all students without charge. They are funded in whole or in pa ...

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The city is located in the sout ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Riverview educates students from

ninth grade Ninth grade, freshman year, or grade 9 is the ninth year of school education in some school systems. Ninth grade is often the first school year of secondary school, high school in the United States, or the last year of middle school#United States ...

twelfth grade Twelfth grade, 12th grade, senior year, or grade 12 is the final year of secondary school in most of North America. In other regions, it may also be referred to as class 12 or Year 13. In most countries, students are usually between the ages of 17 ...

. The school has 2,654 students and 129 teachers. The school's

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

is the

ram Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * Ra ...

. As of the 2012–2013 school year, it is the largest school in the county. Notable programs at the school include the

International Baccalaureate Program The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is a two-year educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds in 140 countries around the world. The programme provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into ...

, a rigorous regimen that prepares its candidates on an international rubric and prepares them for further education; a Chamber Choir that has performed in Europe and New York's

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between West 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhatta ...

; and the Riverview High School Kiltie Band, a group of about 220 musicians that has marched three times in the

Macy's Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...

Thanksgiving Day parade and has traveled to perform in Ireland, California, and many other places. .

The Rudolph building, 1958-2009

Riverview's old main building opened in 1958, and included a

planetarium A planetarium ( planetariums or ''planetaria'') is a theatre built primarily for presenting educational and entertaining shows about astronomy and the night sky, or for training in celestial navigation. A dominant feature of most planetarium ...

. The main building was designed by noted International Style architect Paul Rudolph, dean of the

Yale School of Architecture The Yale School of Architecture (YSOA) is one of the constituent professional schools of Yale University, and is generally considered to be one of the best architecture schools in the United States. The School awards the degrees of Master of Arc ...

. While Rudolph was later associated with the architectural style

Brutalism Brutalist architecture is an architectural style that emerged during the 1950s in the United Kingdom, among the reconstruction projects of the post-war era. Brutalist buildings are characterised by Minimalism (art), minimalist constructions th ...

, Riverview was in the International Style. It was one of the best-known structures associated with the

Sarasota School of Architecture The Sarasota School of Architecture, sometimes called Sarasota Modern, is a regional style of post-war modern architecture (1941–1966) that emerged on Florida's Central West Coast, in and around the city of Sarasota, Florida. It is characterize ...

, sometimes referred to as Sarasota Modern. In 2006, Sarasota County approved spending an estimated $130 million on the reconstruction of the school, which would include demolition of the Rudolph building. The new high school building would increase classroom space and bring the school's facilities up to date. The Rudolph structures would be replaced with a big parking lot. The building's critics contended that Rudolph's roof design, which was intended to make runoff water resemble a "waterfall," caused water to pool dangerously in the hallways. School officials also asserted that

mold A mold () or mould () is one of the structures certain fungus, fungi can form. The dust-like, colored appearance of molds is due to the formation of Spore#Fungi, spores containing Secondary metabolite#Fungal secondary metabolites, fungal seco ...

was an ongoing problem. Proponents for restoration of the buildings cited that inappropriate alterations to the original design had created some of the problems and that proper maintenance had been deferred as well, making the problems seem much greater, but that remedial action was feasible. The demolition plans were opposed by

historic preservation Historic preservation (US), built heritage preservation or built heritage conservation (UK), is an endeavor that seeks to preserve, conserve and protect buildings, objects, landscapes or other artifacts of historical significance. It is a philos ...

ists, including the directors of the

Sarasota Architectural Foundation Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

, the directors of the

Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation Sarasota () is a city in Sarasota County, Florida, Sarasota County on the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The area is renowned for its cultural and environmental amenities, beaches, resorts, and the Sarasota School of Architecture. The c ...

, the founder of ''

Friends of Seagate Friends of ''Seagate'' Inc. was founded in the late 1980s by Kafi Benz as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in Sarasota, Florida. The historic preservation group lead local efforts protect historic property in the Sarasota-Bradenton area from comm ...

'', and the president-elect of American Institute of Architects, Florida. Riverview High School was placed on the

Florida Trust for Historic Preservation Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to th ...

's list of the most endangered historic sites and was nominated for placement on the

National Trust for Historic Preservation The National Trust for Historic Preservation is a privately funded, nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that works in the field of historic preservation in the United States. The member-supported organization was founded in 1949 by ...

2007 list of the

America's Most Endangered Places America's 11 Most Endangered Places or America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places is a list of places in the United States that the National Trust for Historic Preservation considers the most endangered. It aims to inspire Americans to preserve ex ...

. It was also placed on the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and trainin ...

's 2008 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the listing "Main Street Modern." At a January 2007 Sarasota public meeting,

Kafi Benz Kafi Benz (born 1941) is an American author and artist who began participation in social entrepreneurship through environmental preservation and regional planning in 1959 as a member of the ''Jersey Jetport Site Association'', which opposed plans ...

, the founder of ''

'' asked

Andres Duany Andres or Andrés may refer to: *Andres, Illinois, an unincorporated community in Will County, Illinois, US *Andres, Pas-de-Calais, a commune in Pas-de-Calais, France *Andres (name) *Hurricane Andres * "Andres" (song), a 1994 song by L7 See also ...

to relate the prevailing international opinion regarding the demolition plans for Riverview High School. In what time would prove

overstatement Hyperbole (; adj. hyperbolic ) is the use of exaggeration as a rhetorical device or figure of speech. In rhetoric, it is also sometimes known as auxesis (literally 'growth'). In poetry and oratory, it emphasizes, evokes strong feelings, and cre ...

, he said that Sarasota's reputation as a leader in the arts would be destroyed, forever, if demolition of this significant structure were allowed. In February 2007, and after pressure from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the school board agreed to consider new options in lieu of demolition. Considering the international concern expressed about the cultural value of the buildings, as well as the actions of a local organization formed to advance alternative plans for the new development that would include restoration of the Rudolph structures and placing the parking lot intended to replace it under the athletic fields, on March 20, 2007 the school board announced that it would allow a year for consideration of implementation of alternative proposals. This followed a

charrette A charrette (American pronunciation: ), often Anglicized to charette or charet and sometimes called a design charrette, is an intense period of design or planning activity. The word ''charrette'' may refer to any collaborative process by which ...

conducted locally by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where the plan for relocating the parking lot was proposed. The office of architect Carl Abbott, FAIA, who is considered a member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, released information about a co-operative effort by the ''Save Riverview Committee'', the Florida Association of Architects, and the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, at which the documentary ''Site Specific: The History of Regional Modernism'', by Susan Szenasy, editor in chief of ''Metropolis'' magazine, was previewed on March 24 at Burns Court Cinema in Sarasota. In the film, Szenasy explored the historic significance of Riverview High School and featured expressions of the concern of architects around the world compared with the designer of the new campus and a maintenance staff member at the school. The film was intended for a lecture tour of the United States by Szenasy, who planned to discuss the issues of historic preservation, community history, and the education of students. On June 17, 2008, however, the school board voted three to two to raze Rudolph's structure, with members Frank Kovach, Caroline Zucker and Shirley Brown making the majority vote. It was demolished in June 2009, and the new school building opened in August of the same year.

Notable alumni

Sharyl Attkisson Sharyl Attkisson (born 1961) is an American journalist and television correspondent. She hosts the Sinclair Broadcast Group TV show '' Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson''. Attkisson is a five-time Emmy Award winner, and a Radio Television Digi ...

– American television journalist *

David Baas David Andrew Baas (born September 28, 1981) is a former American football center. He played college football for the University of Michigan, and was recognized as a consensus All-American and the top college center. The San Francisco 49ers se ...

– Former

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

player (

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

) with the New York Giants. * Mike Bell - Baseball coach * Bob Buchanan – Former professional baseball player (

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

). *

Todd Combs Todd Anthony Combs (born January 27, 1971) is a former hedge fund manager and current investment manager at Berkshire Hathaway, who has been the chief executive officer (CEO) of GEICO since January 2020. Alongside Ted Weschler, he is frequentl ...

– Hedge fund manager who has been tapped as a potential successor of

Warren Buffett Warren Edward Buffett ( ; born August 30, 1930) is an American business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is currently the chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway. He is one of the most successful investors in the world and has a net w ...

as the chief investment officer of

Berkshire Hathaway Berkshire Hathaway Inc. () is an American Multinational corporation, multinational conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Its main business and source of capital is insurance, from ...

Joe DePastino Joseph Bernard DePastino (born September 4, 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) is an American professional baseball player. A catcher, DePastino made his Major League Baseball debut in 2003 for the New York Mets. DePastino played baseball and a ...

– Former professional baseball player (

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

) and former minor league Manager of the

West Michigan Whitecaps The West Michigan Whitecaps are a Minor League Baseball team of the Midwest League and the High-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers. They are located in Comstock Park, Michigan, a suburb of Grand Rapids, and play their home games at LMCU Ballpark. ...

. *

Luis Elizondo Luis Elizondo is a former U.S. Army Counterintelligence Special Agent and former employee of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence. Later, Elizondo was the Director of Global Security and Special Programs for To the St ...

– Former Military intelligence officer, UFO/UAP disclosure advocate. *

Tony Green (American football) Anthony Edward Green (born September 26, 1956) is an American former professional football player who was a kickoff returner and running back in the National Football League (NFL) for two seasons during the late 1970s. Green played college ...

- American Football player *

Chris Hannon Christopher Lee Hannon (born February 18, 1984) is a former American football wide receiver. He was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent in 2006. He played college football at Tennessee. Hannon was also a member of the ...

– Former American Football player ( wide receiver). *

Karan Higdon Karan Higdon (born September 8, 1996) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football at Michigan. Early years Higdon grew up in Sarasota, Florida, and attended that city's Riverview High School where he ...

– American football player *

Mike Hiss Mike Hiss (7 July 1941 – 19 December 2018) was an American driver in the USAC Championship Car series. He raced in the 1972–1976 seasons, with 28 career starts, including the Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as th ...

– Racing car driver in the USAC Championship Car series, finishing 7th in the

Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...

in 1972, and winning the "rookie of the Year" title. *

Amy Holton Amy Holton Lyons (born April 5, 1965) is an American former professional tennis player. Biography Holton, one of four children to Richard and Marcy, spent her early years in Dayton, Ohio before moving to Sarasota, Florida in the late 1970s. She ...

- American tennis player. * David Howard – Former professional baseball player (

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

)and former minor league hitting coach. *

Amarri Jackson Amarri Nathaniel Jackson (born May 18, 1985) is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. Early life Jackson attended Riverview High School, in Sarasota, Florida, where he earned four varsity letters in football, three ...

- American football player *

Richie James Richard Rhondel "Richie" James Jr. (born September 5, 1995) is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Middle Tennessee. Early years J ...

- American football player for the

San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...

Jamar Johnson Jamar Johnson (born November 22, 1999) is an American football safety for the Arlington Renegades of the XFL. He played college football at Indiana. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. Early years Johns ...

- American football player *

Todd Johnson Todd Edward Johnson (born December 18, 1978) is an American former college and professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 2000s. Johnson played college football for the Un ...

– Former American football player (

safety Safety is the state of being "safe", the condition of being protected from harm or other danger. Safety can also refer to risk management, the control of recognized hazards in order to achieve an acceptable level of risk. Meanings There are ...

), current Riverview High School head football coach. *

Neil Larsen Neil Larsen (born August 7, 1948) is an American jazz keyboardist, musical arranger and composer. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Sarasota, Florida before relocating to New York and then, in 1977, Los Angeles. Early life Larsen was ...

- American jazz keyboardist, musical arranger and composer * Troy Mattes – Former professional baseball player (

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

) and former minor league pitching coach. *

Drew Miller Drew Miller (born February 17, 1984) is an American former professional ice hockey winger. He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Anaheim Ducks, Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings. Miller was drafted in the sixth round, ...

- American football offensive lineman for the

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and

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* Guy Peterson - American architect * Kyle Snyder – Former professional baseball player (

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and current pitching coach of the

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. *

Chad Sobotka Chad Nicholas Sobotka (born July 10, 1993) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Atlanta Braves. Early life Chad Sobotka was born in Sarasota, Florida, on July 10, 1993, to parents ...

- American professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers and Atlanta Braves. *

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– Former

Soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player, with

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* Howard Tayler - American cartoonist and creator of

Schlock Mercenary ''Schlock Mercenary'' is a comedic webcomic written and drawn by Howard Tayler. It follows the tribulations of a star-travelling mercenary company in a satiric, mildly dystopian 31st-century space opera setting. After its debut on June 12, 2000 ...

. *

Courtney Watson Courtney Watson (born September 18, 1980, in Sarasota, Florida) is a former American football linebacker who played in the NFL for two seasons with the New Orleans Saints, who drafted him in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of the Univ ...

- American football linebacker with the New Orleans Saints *

Emma Weyant Emma Weyant (born December 24, 2001) is an American competitive swimmer. She was the US national champion at the individual medley. She qualified for the 2020 Olympic Games in the 400m individual medley and won the silver medal in this event. ...

- US national champion and Olympic medley swimmer. Emma finished first in the 500-yard freestyle at the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving Championships with a time of 4:34:99.

Gallery

File:Riverview High School Sarasota 4.JPG File:Riverview High School Sarasota 3.JPG File:Riverview High School Sarasota.jpg Image:Riverviewhighschoolsarasota2.JPG

References

External links

*
Riverview High School IB Program

Riverview High School Foundation webpage

The Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture
- formerly the Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation, a non-profit organization representing the Paul Rudolph estate, dedicated to communicating, preserving and extending Paul Rudolph's legacy with an online archive of over 13,000 images in addition to written and biographical materials.
The Riverview High School Project Page
from the Paul Rudolph Institute for Modern Architecture archives

{{authority control High schools in Sarasota County, Florida Educational institutions established in 1958 International style architecture in Florida Modernist architecture in Florida Public high schools in Florida Paul Rudolph buildings 1958 establishments in Florida