Assuming it is found, the changes envisioned will take time. The district is talking about a 10-year, phased program. We want to try to rethink the way we do everything. It's not going to happen overnight in all the schools at once. Meanwhile, as school officials map their plans for a brighter future for Buffalo students, the high school experience for today's 12,000 high school students is a gamble.
Buffalo has some fine schools, offering solid academic footings.
City Honors, considered one of the strongest schools in Erie County, is the only public school in the area offering an International Baccalaureate, a course load more challenging than Advanced Placement and credited with getting some of the school's graduates into Ivy League colleges. Hutchinson-Central Technical Institute is also a model, offering the strongest engineering, computer and related technical program in the area, not only because of the courses but because of the teachers' strong qualifications as well. McKinley High School is another standout, a vocational school that offers a strong and varied academic program. And the little-known Leonardo DaVinci High School is a gem. Located on the campus of D'Youville College, the school offers its 250 students use of college facilities, including some college courses.