BUFFALO, NY (WKBW) — A private Catholic middle school on Buffalo's East Side is getting ready to move to a new campus for the next school year.
The NativityMiguel Middle School of Buffalo will soon be packing up from its current Kensington-Bailey Avenue location to a much bigger school in the Fillmore District at the former St. Stanislaus School.
I talked with students and the school leader about how this will expand the school’s footprint.
Students @nativity_miguel are spending their final weeks of learning at their current school building on Hastings Avenue in the Kensington-Bailey neighborhood, but next school year they will be in a much larger, newer building at the former Saint Stanislaus School. @WKBW pic.twitter.com/gp13lqeacT
— Eileen Buckley (@eileenwkbw) June 2, 2025
The Catholic middle school features two divisions: one for boys and the other for girls. Next school year, the entire campus will open at the former St. Stanislaus School.
“It’s awesome," said Chris Pitek, Head of School. "It's exciting, very exciting.”
Students are very excited about moving to a bigger, newer school building and even had a sneak peek.
“I like the new school," Elijah Terrel said."I went there to see it on the opening night. I think it's like way better because we have bigger rooms. I'm hoping for a lot more opportunities.”
“I saw the building and I saw the inside and it's really nice," said Kylee. "I'm happy the people who are coming to the school because we really want more kids.”
"New classrooms and like the gyms going to be different and we're going to have lunches together now," Abigial Sebhatu said. "I’m like really excited about that."
“The excitement comes because when you walk in, it feels like a home," Pitek said. "It feels warm. It feels inviting."
Pitek told me they've signed a 10-year lease agreement with the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. St. Stanislaus School closed in 2008, but the parish still exists.
“The opportunity to move campuses and gain some of the things we need and be able to put funding toward programs and scholarships, more than capital building needs, was a huge opportunity,” Pitek said. “When we walked in there for the first time. We said our kids deserve this and everything from the tile walls to the beautiful classrooms to the space we're going to be able to expand into an innovation makerspace.”
8th graders, who will be heading to other private, Catholic high schools in the fall, are thrilled the school can grow at this new campus.
“Even though I’m not going to be here to experience the new building, but I feel like it's a bigger building for more opportunities and stuff – like they can do a lot of fun things,” said Naba Bender.
“I think that us moving to St. Stan’s will make more opportunities for the students,” said Joshua Byaombe.
“What will you miss about this school?” I asked the 8ther graders.
“I'll miss the community over here,” Byaombe answered.
“Are you a little sad to leave?” I asked.
“I am a little sad to leave, you just feel sad leaving it because I’ve had a lot of memories in this building,” Bender said.
Pitek would not disclose how much they are spending to leave the building over the next decade, but the current building on Hastings Avenue is on the market, listed just below $2 million.
Pitek told me he’s hopeful proceeds made from the sale of the school building would benefit the school, which relies mostly on donations and gifts.
“We're hoping to not leave a void in this community,” Pitek stated.
Pitek also explained that moving into the new location is really considered a "win-win" for the school and the diocese since the diocese is interested in stepping up its ministry in the urban community.
The school leader told me while they will work to partner with St. Stan’s the school will remain independent of the diocese.
The diocese told me in an email that Fr. Cole Webster at St. Stan’s said the lease was a “parish/family-based decision” and that he is “extremely glad to partner with the school and the parish continues to work a variety of partnerships.” The diocese also noted that “partnerships help spread the Gospel and God’s good work on Buffalo’s East Side.”
“But my hope is that we can use that campus to grow with other partners to provide resources or space for partners to use to provide their resources to the community,” Pitek described.
