Riverview High School (Sarasota, Florida)

Riverview High School is a four-year public high school in Sarasota, Florida, United States. Riverview educates students from ninth grade to twelfth grade. The school has 2,654 students and 129 teachers. The school's mascot is the ram. As of the 2012–2013 school year, it is the largest school in the county.[4]

Riverview High School
Address
1 Ram Way

Sarasota
,
Florida[1]
34238

United States
Information
School districtSarasota County Public Schools
PrincipalErin Del Castillo[2]
Staff125.10 (FTE)[3]
Grades9-12
Enrollment2,606 (2018-19)[3]
Student to teacher ratio20.83[3]
Color(s)  Maroon
  White
MascotRams
RivalSarasota High School
YearbookThe Tartan
Websitewww.sarasotacountyschools.net/schools/riverview/
A 2007 view of the courtyard entrance shows the former building's International Style architecture, where ornament was absent in favor of exposed steel and glass

Notable programs at the school include the International Baccalaureate Program, a rigorous regimen that prepares its candidates on an international rubric and prepares them for further education; a Chamber Choir that has performed in Europe and New York's Carnegie Hall; and the Riverview High School Kiltie Band, a group of about 220 musicians that has marched three times in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade and has traveled to perform in Ireland, California, and many other places. .[5]

The Rudolph building, 1958-2009

Riverview's old main building opened in 1958, and included a planetarium. The main building was designed by noted International Style architect Paul Rudolph, dean of the Yale School of Architecture. While Rudolph was later associated with the architectural style Brutalism, Riverview was in the International Style. It was one of the best-known structures associated with the Sarasota School of Architecture, sometimes referred to as Sarasota Modern.

The old cafeteria was located just behind the administration building, and opened onto this main courtyard

In 2006, Sarasota County approved spending an estimated $130 million on the reconstruction of the school, which would include demolition of the Rudolph building.[6] The new high school building would increase classroom space and bring the school's facilities up to date. The Rudolph structures would be replaced with a big parking lot.

The building's critics contended that Rudolph's roof design, which was intended to make runoff water resemble a "waterfall," caused water to pool dangerously in the hallways. School officials also asserted that mold was an ongoing problem.[7] Proponents for restoration of the buildings cited that inappropriate alterations to the original design had created some of the problems and that proper maintenance had been deferred as well, making the problems seem much greater, but that remedial action was feasible.

The demolition plans were opposed by historic preservationists, including the directors of the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, the directors of the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation, the founder of Friends of Seagate, and the president-elect of American Institute of Architects, Florida.[8]

Riverview High School was placed on the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation's list of the most endangered historic sites and was nominated for placement on the National Trust for Historic Preservation 2007 list of the America's Most Endangered Places.[9] It was also placed on the World Monuments Fund's 2008 List of 100 Most Endangered Sites in the listing "Main Street Modern."

At a January 2007 Sarasota public meeting, Kafi Benz, the founder of Friends of Seagate asked Andres Duany to relate the prevailing international opinion regarding the demolition plans for Riverview High School. In what time would prove overstatement, he said that Sarasota's reputation as a leader in the arts would be destroyed, forever, if demolition of this significant structure were allowed.[10] In February 2007, and after pressure from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the school board agreed to consider new options in lieu of demolition.[11]

Details of the novel approach in the former building to handle environmental factors in subtropical Sarasota

Considering the international concern expressed about the cultural value of the buildings, as well as the actions of a local organization formed to advance alternative plans for the new development that would include restoration of the Rudolph structures and placing the parking lot intended to replace it under the athletic fields, on March 20, 2007 the school board announced that it would allow a year for consideration of implementation of alternative proposals. This followed a charrette conducted locally by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, where the plan for relocating the parking lot was proposed.

The office of architect Carl Abbott, FAIA, who is considered a member of the Sarasota School of Architecture, released information about a co-operative effort by the Save Riverview Committee, the Florida Association of Architects, and the Sarasota Architectural Foundation, at which the documentary Site Specific: The History of Regional Modernism, by Susan Szenasy, editor in chief of Metropolis magazine, was previewed on March 24 at Burns Court Cinema in Sarasota. In the film, Szenasy explored the historic significance of Riverview High School and featured expressions of the concern of architects around the world compared with the designer of the new campus and a maintenance staff member at the school. The film was intended for a lecture tour of the United States by Szenasy, who planned to discuss the issues of historic preservation, community history, and the education of students.

On June 17, 2008, however, the school board voted three to two to raze Rudolph's structure, with members Frank Kovach, Caroline Zucker and Shirley Brown making the majority vote.[12] It was demolished in June 2009,[13] and the new school building opened in August of the same year.

Controversy

In 2018, a Riverview High School senior made a racist promposal sign that was shared by his girlfriend and intended prom date on her social media with added heart-eyed emojis.

Noah Crowley and Isabella Vanilli, both students at Riverview High School were also alleged by students who know the couple to have previously used racist terminology and statements that they define as “jokes.” In fact, in his apology, Crowley said it was a “joke.” [14]

Notable alumni

References

  1. "Riverview High School". usnews.com. Archived from the original on August 24, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  2. "Welcome to Riverview High School". c2cschools.com. Archived from the original on October 12, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  3. "RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL". National Center for Education Statistics. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. "Highlander Drum Corps". sarasota.k12.fl.us. Archived from the original on November 26, 2009. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  5. "Tradition of Excellence". rhskiltieband.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
  6. "Article 404 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 29, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "THREATENED: Paul Rudolph's Riverview High School - docomomo united states". docomomo-us.org. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  9. Sos1 (December 8, 2006). "SAVE Riverview: New York Team Films Documentary On Riverview High School". saveriverview.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  10. "Article 404 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Sarasota, FL". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
  11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved November 1, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on April 17, 2016. Retrieved September 13, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  13. "Florida - Rudolph's Riverview High School Demolished - docomomo united states". docomomo-us.org. Archived from the original on January 16, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.
  14. "noah-crowley-isabella-vinalli-racist-promposal". Archived from the original on October 24, 2018. Retrieved May 15, 2019.
  15. Peterson, Nolan (March 13, 2014). "Return to her roots". Siesta Key Observer. Retrieved November 20, 2017. When Sharyl Attkisson was a junior at Riverview High School, she wrote a letter to the editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
  16. Janes, Ted (November 2, 2017). "Michigan's Karan Higdon saw commitment as key to future, beyond sport". Detroit Free Press.

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