Building an Academic Home

The state-of-the-art Niagara Falls High School opened in September 2000, combining the populations of the City's two long-standing high schools, LaSalle Senior High School and Niagara Falls High School, into one awe-inspiring new academic home.

Today, nearly 2,000 students enjoy the school, which has its own television-production program and cable-access channel; a 1,700-seat Performing Arts Center; ground-breaking academic initiatives; award-winning music programs; and its own Speaker Series.

The school has hosted visitors from many countries eager to see the programs in action and to experience the building in person.

The facility itself serves as a community cornerstone, offering health and other human services in addition to academics. It hosts community events throughout the year.

Achieved via a unique public-private partnership made possible by special legislation passed at the State level, Niagara Falls High School grew from an overgrown lot in the center of the City to a community hub. Taxpayers benefited from a unique and creative funding process that allows the District to rent the building for a 30-year period, without having the multitudinous headaches of ownership. At the end of the lease, ownership reverts to the District. 

The Architecture Review calls NFHS "an example of a true architecture, business, technology and community partnership" and "a novel educational experiment (that) could well become a trend-setter for public schools in the United States."