McKinley Vocational High School

• Name — McKinley Vocational High School • Address — 1500 Elmwood Ave • City — Buffalo • State — New York • Zipcode — 14207 • Country — United States • Type — Public, vocational school • Established — 1910 • District — Buffalo Public Schools • Principal — Terence Jenkins • School Number — 305 • Grades — 9-12 • Enrollment — 862 (2024-2025) • Teaching Staff — 91.22 • Ratio — 9.45 • Campus — City: Large • Motto — Excellence Through Training • Mascot — Bulldog • Team Name — Macks • Colors — Black and Orange black orange • Yearbook — President • Website — https: www.buffaloschools.org/o/ps305

• Illustration — Sign on the south end of McKinley's campus McKinley was formed in 1910 as Black Rock Vocational School. It moved into its current address on Elmwood in 1923, which formerly had housed the Buffalo Orphan's Asylum. The current building was built in 1966. The school is named for former United States President William McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901; he was shot and mortally wounded just a few blocks from the school. In 2010, the building began undergoing extensive renovations to add more classroom space and expand its vocational programs. Ninth-graders were housed at the former School 56 until renovations were completed on the McKinley building. McKinley reopened to all students in fall 2012. On February 9, 2022, a fight after school turned violent; 14-year-old Sirgio Jeter was stabbed 10 times in his colon, diaphragm, and kidneys, and Brad Walker, a 27-year-old security guard attempting to break up the fight, was shot in the leg. Both survived. A 17-year-old who went to the school was picked up as a suspect and charged. Another 17-year-old was taken into custody. In March 2023, a painting of James Benjamin Parker, the man who attempted to stop President McKinley's assassination was unveiled at McKinley Vocational High School by Reverend William Cobb Jr.

Previous assignment and reason for departure denoted in parentheses • Samuel F. King, 1923-1934 (principal of Black Rock Vocational School, retired) • Robert S. Hoole, 1934-1953 (vice principal of Seneca Vocational High School, retired) • Ferdinand E. Kampreth, 1953-1965 (vice principal of McKinley Vocational High School, retired) • Albert B. Buck, 1965-1972 (vice principal of Emerson Vocational High School, retired) • James F. Harmon–1972-1984 (principal of Woodlawn Junior High School and of Burgard Vocational High School) • Ronald J. Meer, 1984-1987 (central office administrator at Buffalo Public Schools, principal of Leonardo da Vinci High School) • Crystal A. Boling-Barton, 1987-2017 (assistant principal of South Park High School, placed on leave) • Marck E. Abraham [interim], 2017-2020 (assistant principal of McKinley Vocational High School, resigned) • Naomi R. Cerre [interim], 2020-2021 (assistant principal of Academy School 131 @ 4, retired) • Carmelita Burgin [interim], 2021-2022 (assistant principal of East Community High School) • Mustafa Khalil, 2022-2023 (principal of Lackawanna Middle School)

• Illustration — School 56, where McKinley 9th graders were housed from 2010 to 2012. McKinley offers Regents level courses as required by New York State. Its curriculum includes a career and technical component in classes such as Advertising Art, Aquatic Ecology, Horticulture, Machine Tool Technology, Printing, and four Building Trades: Electrical Technology, Carpentry, Plumbing, and Sheet Metal Technology.

• Goo Goo Dolls lead singer and guitarist John Rzeznik attended McKinley, graduating in 1983. • College and professional basketball coach Bob MacKinnon attended McKinley, graduating in 1946.