School 87

School 87
Address
333 Clinton Street
Willert Park
Buffalo, New York, Erie, 14204
Coordinates 42°52′58″N 78°51′45″W / 42.8828°N 78.8624°WCoordinates: 42°52′58″N 78°51′45″W / 42.8828°N 78.8624°W
Information
Opened 1914
Closed 1976
School number 87
Grades 5-9

School 87 is a public school building located near Downtown Buffalo, New York, located at 333 Clinton Street. The building served as home of Hutchinson Central Technical High School and the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts as well as a junior high school and a swing school building for other Buffalo Public Schools that were being reconstructed from 2007-2013. It currently houses the Middle Early College High School.

History

School 87 was constructed in 1915 to house Technical High School, which had been previously been housed at 102 Elm Street in School 11. The building was unique in that it was the only public school in Buffalo history to provide its own power and electricity by way of steam generations powered by high pressure boilers. These boilers provided electricity not only for Technical High, but for School 32, located across the street from the building.[1] In 1954, Technical High School merged with Hutchinson Central High School and moved across town.

The old Technical High building was then designated as School 87 and re-opened as Clinton Junior High School (or Clinton Center School), making it one of the first junior high schools in the city and the only one to house grades seven and eight exclusively.[2] Clinton Junior High was one of the most segregated schools in the City of Buffalo with a very high minority enrollment and along with other East Side high schools, was a frequent site of gang and racial violence during the 1960s and 1970s.[3] In 1976, the school was converted to the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts as part of Buffalo's desegregation plan. Beginning with Clinton's original student body, the newly renumbered School 187 eventually became a magnet school that enrolled students from all areas of the City.

In 2007, the Arts Academy moved to a new, renovated location at 450 Masten Avenue. School 87 housed South Park High School (2007-2009), Southside Elementary School (2009-2011), and The International Preparatory School (2011-2013) while those school's regular buildings were being renovated. After being vacant for the 2013-2014 school year, the building now houses Middle Early College High School.

Former principals

Name Dates Previous assignment Reason for departure
Mr. Arthur S. Lord 1954-1962 Principal - School 47 retired
Mr. Thomas J. Connors 1962-1964 Assistant Principal - South Park High School named Principal of South Park High School[4]
Mr. Robert S. Wilson 1964-1965[5] Assistant Principal - Genesee-Humboldt Junior High School,[6] named Assistant Principal of South Park High School
Mr. Paul A. Parinello 1965-1967 Vice Principal - Woodlawn Junior High School[5] named Principal of Madison Township School
Mr. Alonzo W. Thompson 1967-1969 Vice Principal - Woodlawn Junior High School[7] named Principal of East High School
Mr. Joseph T. Murray 1969-1976 Vice Principal - Clinton Junior High School named Associate Superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools

Selected former assistant principals

Name Dates Previous assignment Reason for departure
Dr. J. Norman Hayes 1954-1955 Assistant Principal - Kensington High School named Assistant Principal of Lafayette High School[8]
Mr. Morris Raiken 1955-1958 unknown named Assistant Principal of Bennett High School[8]
Mr. Ciacomo J. Saccomando 1963-1964
Mr. Monroe A. Gilbert 1964[9]
Mr. Harry E. Adams 1964-1966 Science teacher - School 82[9] named Assistant Principal of Woodlawn Junior High School
Mr. Franklin R. Weitz 1966-1967 Science teacher - South Park High School named Assistant Principal of Bennett High School[7]
Mr. Adam D. Dzimian 1967-1968 Guidance Counselor - School 37 named Assistant Principal of Bennett High School
Mr. Joseph Murray 1968-1969 Teacher - Clinton Junior High School named Principal of Clinton Junior High School
Mr. John A. Bargnesi 1969-?

References

  1. ↑ Weed, G. M. (2001). School days of yesterday: Buffalo public school history. (p. 43). Buffalo: Allied Printing.
  2. ↑ Smith, M. K. (1961, July 9). Buffalo slow to adopt junior high. Buffalo Courier-Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1961/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1961 a - 8073.pdf
  3. ↑ Board warns against attacks on teachers. (1965, May 13). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1965/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1965 - 6510.pdf
  4. ↑ T.j. connors appointed principal at south park. (1964, August 27). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964 - 9568.pdf
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 David hansen named principal of school 6. (1965, July 15). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1965/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1965 - 9742.pdf
  6. ↑ Principal is named. (1964, September 10). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964 b - 0196.pdf
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Negro appointed clinton principal. (1967, July 13). Buffalo Courier-Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1967/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1967 a - 0578.pdf
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 School board appoints new principal. (1955, July 28). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1955/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1955 a - 4150.pdf
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Board oks 2 in HUAC hearings here. (1964, October 29). Buffalo Courier Express. Retrieved from http://fultonhistory.com/Newspapers 21/Buffalo NY Courier Express/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964/Buffalo NY Courier Express 1964 b - 2714.pdf