Riverside University High School

Infobox Secondary school
name = Riverside University High School
picture =
established = 1912
type = Public (magnet) secondary
grades = 9–12
principal = Dr. Daniel Donder
address = 1615 E Locust St
city = Milwaukee
state = Wisconsin
country = USA
enrollment = 1,600 (approx)
mascot = Tigers
newspaper = "Word on the River" (formerly "Tiger Times")
yearbook = "The Mercury"
colors = Orange and black
website = [http://www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/riverside www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/riverside]

Riverside University High School is a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that has a strong emphasis on university curriculum. It is a part of Milwaukee Public Schools.

History

Pre-1912

Starting in the early 1850s the newly established city of Milwaukee was debating establishing a public high school. As early as 1860 Milwaukee had a high school program in the attic of an elementary school located near the Brady St. area. After several fires and expanding attendance, East Side High School opened for enrollment in the late 1880s. By 1906 a state of the art building broke ground on 1615 N. Locust St. Using then modern technology the building's architect was able to increase the window size by using a steel frame designed to bear the weight of the building. This also allowed for less restrictive and cheaper construction. The design is that of a four story U shaped building with a three story square building inside. The buildings are connected via five sky walks located on the second "main" floor for access to the auditorium and two stairwells to access either basement level gym, nicknamed "the dungeon." Many of the buildings around the school were inspired by the Elizabethan and Romanesque facade of the school.

1912–1945

The new building, dubbed Riverside High School, officially opened for classes in the fall of 1915. Even though the new school was called Riverside High School, it was also known as East Division High School until the mid 80s. East Side High was a typical early 20th century high school with a mostly Caucasian student population. The school newspaper Sassy Times was one of the best school newspapers in the state of Wisconsin until Milwaukee, and its schools, entered a decline in the 70s and 80s.Until the 1930s or 1940s Riverside did not have a school cafeteria and lacked a full library. By then Riverside received a renovation and a three story addition that added a third gym as well as a full cafeteria to the rear of the building, turning the U shape of the school into a square on all but the fourth floor. The third gym was originally intended to be a new pool, but cost and a looming war made it a want, not a need.

1970s

By the 1970s Riverside High school, like many older urban schools, was in a state of rapid decay. The windows leaked water and snow and made the building's heating system unable to keep the staff and students warm. Nearly all aspects of the building were in disrepair. It was decided that a second addition and a renovation were in order. After a careful review, the building was retrofitted with new Plexiglass windows. The new windows yellowed over time and blocked much of the sunlight, as well as covered most of the window frame. A new building was added next to Riverside that included a 6 lane 25 yard pool, a gym larger than both the original gyms combined, 2 auto shops, 1 foundry room, 2 metal shops, a drivers Ed room, the Anzivino Computer Lab, a fitness center and more general classroom space. This extra space allowed for the third floor cafeteria to be converted into a large library with three special media centers, while the basement level third gym was turned into a cafeteria. The new building made Riverside Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 compatible by adding street level and basement level ramps, as well as adding a second elevator; the original elevator is primarily used as a service elevator. The addition also added three open "commons" areas, the Cafeteria Commons, the Pool Commons and the Leonard Commons (named after Larry Leonard, a former assistant principal and special ed teacher), often used for gatherings. The new addition created several dead spaces rarely seen, including the old gym seating behind a wall on the first floor near the rear hallway, and the staircases. The staircases run from the first floor to the fourth floor and are located between the old building and the new building elevator.

1980s and 2000s

Along with several other schools in Milwaukee the 1980s saw major curriculum changes for Riverside. Advanced Placement classes were added and the school was rededicated as Riverside University High School. The nickname 'East Division High School'was dropped from the daily lexicon. With its new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Riverside had managed to transform itself from a decaying urban school into one of the best AP based high schools in the nation. Riverside is one of the best performing schools in the Metro Milwaukee Area. High standards have given way to higher test scores throughout the 1990's and into the 21st century.

External links

* [http://www2.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/riverside/ Riverside University Highschool website]