City Honors School

City Honors School at Fosdick-Masten Park, often called City Honors or CHS, is a special school in Buffalo, New York, United States. It is part of the Buffalo Public Schools and began in 1975 for students who are very smart and talented. Three teachers from Bennett High School and Clinton Junior High School started it. At first, it was a program inside another school, but after one year, it became its own school.

The school is in the historic Fosdick-Masten Park High School, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. Today, students at City Honors can take Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, along with the regular Regents courses required by the New York State Education Department. About 1,070 students from grades 5 to 12 attend the school. In 2014, The Washington Post said City Honors was the most challenging high school in the northeast because its students take many college-level exams.

History

City Honors started in 1973 at Bennett High School with special evening classes called "Course Y" for selected students. Because many students wanted to join, these classes grew into a small school inside Bennett High School in 1975, working together with nearby Canisius College.

In 1976, City Honors got its own building, the old P.S. 17, and started including students from grades 5 to 8. This made it one of the first special schools in the area to bring students from different neighborhoods together. Later, in 1980, the school moved to its current home at Fosdick-Masten Park High School. In 1991, it began using the International Baccalaureate program, which offers advanced courses for high school students. Between 2007 and 2009, the school had a big renovation, including a new sports area. During this time, younger students attended School 56, while older students went to School 8.

2007 human remains found

In December 2007, workers were getting ready to rebuild the school. While digging test holes, they found old bones from two adults and one baby. The bones were taken to Forest Lawn Cemetery to be cared for properly. In May 2008, more bones were found and also taken to the same cemetery. The bones were studied and then buried with respect.

Sports

City Honors students enjoy many sports, such as baseball, basketball, bowling, cheerleading, crew, cross country, hockey, rugby, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

The men's basketball team won a state championship in 2003. The women's volleyball team won four state championships from 1990 to 1993. City Honors was the first public school in western New York to start its own rowing program, and its crew teams have done well in competitions. The school was also one of the first in western New York to have a rugby team, and its teams have done well in state and national events.

Additional facts

The building where City Honors School is located is special and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Each year since 1997, City Honors has been one of the best public schools in Western New York.

In different years, Newsweek magazine listed City Honors among the top schools in the United States.

Notable alumni

City Honors School and Fosdick-Masten Park High School have many well-known graduates. Some of these graduates include:

• Molly Burhans, an environmentalist and map maker who received a United Nations award; Class of '07
• Bill Burton, a communication expert who worked in the White House; Class of '95
• Lucille Clifton, a poet; Class of '53
• Jake Halpern, an author who won an important award for cartooning in 2018; Class of '93
• Richard Hofstadter, a historian who won a Pulitzer Prize; Class of '33
• Kit Klein, a speed skater who won Olympic gold medals; Class of '28
• Steve Mesler, a member of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team who won a gold medal in 2010; Class of '96
• Connie Porter, an author; Class of '77
• Buffalo Bob Smith, a host of a popular children's TV show in the 1950s; Class of '33
• Rexford Tugwell, an economist who helped create important programs during President Roosevelt's time; Class of '11
• Megan Smith, a technology leader who worked in the White House; Class of '82