West Side High School, New York City

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New York City's West Side High School was established in the early 1970s as an alternative public high school of 125 kids, which grew to 325 in 1980 to 800 in the 1990's in a challenging mixed neighborhood of upper Manhattan.

In the 1970s, "West Side High" was a hotbed of revolutionary educational thinking. Its students were troubled kids, its teachers and curriculum extremely liberal and experimental, befitting its locale on the Upper West Side. Urban studies, liberal arts and sciences were taught alongside alternative courses in cultural diversity, non-violent coping skills and modern politics, in addition to the standard course requirements of all New York City public schools.

Ed Reynolds was its director and principal for more than 25 years until his sudden death in 2001. Originally located on West 93rd Street, between Broadway and West End Avenue, the Board of Ed. lost it's lease, later moved West Side to its current address at 140 West 102nd Street in 1981, the building was later condemned and the school moved to 35th street before being reopened back on 102nd in a new building.

The Board of Education passed a resolution renaming it the Edward A. Reynolds West Side High School, in recognition of its beloved principal.