Amherst Central High School (ACHS) is 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., ...

in Snyder,

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, United States, a

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within the town of Amherst, which is within the

Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area Buffalo Niagara may refer to a variety of places and things in the vicinity of Buffalo, New York, and Niagara Falls Niagara Falls is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border ...

. It is the only high school in the Amherst Central School District. Approximately 861 students were enrolled during the 2018–2019 school year. Construction on the current building began in 1929, and the school opened in 1931.

District

The Amherst Central School District had 2,877 students enrolled during the 2018–2019 school year. The high school serves the school district which encompasses the neighborhoods of Eggertsville and Snyder, as well as small portions of the village of Williamsville and the town of

Cheektowaga Cheektowaga (; ) is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town has grown to a population of 89,877. The town is in the north-central part of the county, and is an inner ring suburb of Buffalo. The town is t ...

. In 1998 the high school was judged one of the 100 best in the country by ''

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'' magazine, with students taking the highest number of

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examinations in Western New York. The district also has a Parent-Teacher-Student Association (PTSA), which is a joint organization between the Middle School and High School that assists with fundraising, event planning, and community involvement.

Music and Theater

Amherst is known for the high quality of their music program. Instrumental music instruction comprises an Orchestra Department (Mainly String Instruments) and a Band Department (Mainly Wind Instruments). The Band Department consists of Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Ensemble, as well as smaller sectional ensembles. The Orchestra Department consists of Symphony Orchestra, Concert Orchestra, Operetta Pit Orchestra, Sinfonia, and smaller chamber ensembles. The Choral Department (Vocal Music) includes Concert Choir, Concert Chorale, Sweet Sixteens, and Varsity Singers. Drama Club The Amherst Drama Club produces two performances each school year. The fall production features notable, often classic plays such as ''

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'', '' It's a Wonderful Life'' and ''

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''. The spring production typically consists of short one-act comedies and dramas, written and directed by Senior students. Operetta Amherst also has a prominent

Operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...

program, and has been producing operettas annually since about 1932. For the 2020–2021 school year, the Amherst Operetta Association performed ''Strawberry Fields''. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, it was decided that a smaller opera would be performed in lieu of a traditional operetta performance. 'Strawberry Fields' consists of only eight main roles, as well as a small ensemble. The most recent operetta production, during the 2024–2025 school year, was Cats.

Athletics

Amherst supports many sports and is a Section B school. The school has a turf athletic stadium, the Dimp Wagner Athletic Field, which serves as the home playing surface for the Amherst Tigers football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's lacrosse, women's field hockey, and many JV and modified teams. The stadium also plays host to many local high school play-off and championship games in various sporting events. Amherst had a championship men's hockey team (ranked among the top 25 teams in the nation in 2009) and women's lacrosse teams, producing multiple Division I athletes every year. The men's hockey team won the section six championship on February 28, 2010. This team made league history by winning the championship as the last place seed coming in. It also boasts championship tennis, field hockey, and basketball programs. Their field hockey team has had much success in the past ten years. The team won the Far West Regional Championship game in Medina, NY against Pittsford-Sutherland High School with a score of 2-1 and advanced onto the State Championship for Class B in Vestal, New York on November 20, 2009. Amherst's field hockey program has continued its success with Section 6 Championship wins in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017.

Amherst Central Alumni Foundation

Established in 1983, the foundation funds experiences for students emphasizing projects that extend their horizons or involve helping others. The foundation also funds mini-grants for teachers for special projects or equipment not otherwise funded by the school district.

Notable alumni and former students

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'' (1955–1975) * Angela Yvonne Coniglio, pioneer female athlete, member of the Amherst High School,

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, and Greater Buffalo Sports Halls of Fame * Jack Davis, industrialist * Jeffrey Gundlach, investor and philanthropist *

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for the

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and chairman and chief executive officer of

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on ''

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* Julie Pace, Executive Editor, The Associated Press *

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References

{{authority control Public high schools in New York (state) Schools in Erie County, New York Educational institutions established in 1930 1930 establishments in New York (state)