Lafayette High School (Brooklyn)

Lafayette High School (Brooklyn)
Name	Lafayette High School
Established	1939
Closed	2010
Type	Public
City	Brooklyn
State	New York
Country	United States
District	New York City Department of Education
Campus	Urban

Lafayette High School (Brooklyn) was a public secondary school located in the Bensonhurst neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. Operating from 1939 until its closure in 2010, it served a diverse student body over its seven-decade history. The school was named in honor of the Marquis de Lafayette, the French aristocrat and military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War. Its closure was part of a larger restructuring effort by the New York City Department of Education to replace large, comprehensive high schools with smaller institutions.

History

The school opened in 1939 during the tenure of New York City Mayor Fiorello H. La Guardia, a period of significant expansion for the city's public institutions. For much of the mid-20th century, its student population was predominantly composed of Italian and Jewish students from the surrounding neighborhoods. Demographic shifts in the latter decades saw increasing enrollment of immigrants from the Soviet Union, China, and various Caribbean nations. The school gained national attention in the early 1990s due to racial tensions, which were highlighted in documentaries like "School Colors" by Frontline. Persistent academic struggles led the New York State Education Department to designate it as persistently dangerous, culminating in its phase-out beginning in 2006 under Chancellor Joel Klein.

Campus and facilities

The school was housed in a large, multi-story brick building typical of New York City's Art Deco-influenced school architecture from the 1930s. Its facilities included a sizable auditorium, a library, and multiple gymnasiums to support its extensive athletic programs. The campus was situated near the intersection of Bay Parkway and Cropsey Avenue, in close proximity to Bath Beach and Gravesend. Following the school's closure, the building was subdivided to house several smaller high schools, including the Brooklyn Studio Secondary School and the High School of Sports Management.

Academics and programs

As a comprehensive high school, Lafayette offered a standard Regents diploma track alongside various vocational programs. It maintained a specialized program in Marine biology and operated an on-site day care center for teenage parents. The school also participated in the City University of New York's College Now program, allowing students to earn college credits. Despite these offerings, Lafayette consistently struggled with low graduation rates and poor performance on standardized tests, factors that contributed to its eventual closure by the Bloomberg administration.

Notable alumni

The school produced a wide array of graduates who achieved prominence in diverse fields. In entertainment and the arts, notable alumni include actor and comedian Andrew Dice Clay, actor Vince Edwards, and playwright Harvey Fierstein. In sports, it produced Major League Baseball players such as John Franco, Lee Mazzilli, and Larry Brown. Other distinguished graduates include United States Congressman Stephen J. Solarz, New York State Supreme Court Justice Gerald Held, and mobster Henry Hill, whose life was depicted in the film Goodfellas.

Athletics

Lafayette was a longstanding powerhouse in New York City's Public Schools Athletic League, particularly in baseball and football. Its baseball team won multiple PSAL city championships, fostering talent that would advance to the major leagues. The school's football team also enjoyed periods of significant success, competing fiercely against rivals like Abraham Lincoln High School and Midwood High School. The Patriots' athletic legacy is commemorated in the school's Hall of Fame, which honors standout athletes and coaches.

In popular culture

The school has been referenced or featured in several films and television projects that explore Brooklyn's cultural landscape. It served as a filming location for the 1977 film Saturday Night Fever, starring John Travolta. The 1994 documentary "School Colors" by Frontline provided an in-depth look at the racial and ethnic conflicts within the school during that era. Furthermore, the experiences of alumnus Henry Hill and other connected individuals were fictionalized in Martin Scorsese's iconic crime film Goodfellas.

Category:Educational institutions established in 1939 Category:Educational institutions disestablished in 2010 Category:High schools in Brooklyn