BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Buffalo Public School District wants to close Riverside High School — one of eight schools targeted under its proposed closing plan — and move Da Vinci and Research Lab High Schools students into the building.
A 25-year veteran teacher at the school is fighting back and offering an alternative.
Marc Bruno, who has spent 25 years at Riverside High School, is speaking out against the district's plan.
"They're evicting our 315 students to put 400 Da Vinci students, and you know, around maybe a little less than 200 Research Lab students here," Bruno said.
Bruno is pushing his own alternative that he says could keep Riverside and other struggling schools open.
"We can put Research Lab in here to anchor Riverside, and we could put Da Vinci in East to anchor East because they're thinking about closing East because they only have 400 students," Bruno said.
WATCH: Buffalo teacher fights back against plan to close Riverside High School
For years, Riverside was a hot spot for student fights. But Bruno says everything has turned around, from higher Regents scores to improved graduation rates.
"An educational miracle has occurred here. We were the only school out of all Buffalo Public Schools to not have a fight in the building. That includes elementary schools," Bruno said. "Our attendance went up. Our suspensions went down.”
According to the district, Riverside students would be allowed to go to a school of their choice
The school closing plan's impact on teachers remains unclear.
I sat down with Buffalo Teachers Federation President Rich Nigro, who says the district wants to cut 108 full-time positions — 73 would be teachers, but that number could lower if there are retirements.
"The problem for us, of course, is how many bodies we're losing, or might we lose through this process?" Nigro said.
The teacher’s union leader tells me now is not the time to reduce staff.
"If you're expecting increased graduation rates, if you're expecting better performance on testing and academics and learning. You're expecting those things, then you have to retain the folks who are doing that work on the front lines in the schools," Nigro said.
The plan is not yet finalized. The first of three public hearings takes place virtually Thursday at 2. The school board has the final say.
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