McKinley High School

Creating educational green spaces at a public high school

McKinley High School is a vocational high school in the city’s North Buffalo neighborhood, home to a range of trade programs including horticulture and aquatic ecology that provide pathways into middle-skill jobs. As part of the Buffalo Public Schools Reconstruction Program aimed at modernizing the city’s school buildings, McKinley High School underwent a major building renovation and reconstruction, that included a building addition.

The project incorporated a variety of green infrastructure tools, including a green roof, porous pavement, and rain barrels and cisterns into the renovation to support on-site stormwater management requirements and provide educational opportunities for students. The result is a modern educational campus with accessible and attractive green spaces that function as outdoor learning laboratories for students.