Riverside High School
1615 E Locust St, Milwaukee, WI, 53211-3298 -  Map
tel: (414)906-4900
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School Overview:
Definition of Terms Riverside High School
School Level High school
Grades Offered Grades 9 - 12
County Milwaukee County, WI
Students & Faculty
Total Students 1561 students
% Male / % Female 47%  /  53%
Total Classroom Teachers 88 teachers
Students by Grade
Grade 9 - 459 students
Grade 10 - 356 students
Grade 11 - 389 students
Grade 12 - 357 students
This School (WI) School Average
Teacher : Student Ratio 1:18 1:15
Students by Ethnicity
This School (WI) School Average
% American Indian 1% 1%
% Asian 8% 3%
% Hispanic 17% 8%
% Black 58% 12%
% White 16% 74%
Additional Student Information
This School (WI) School Average
% Eligible for Free Lunch n/a n/a
% Eligible for Reduced Lunch n/a n/a
% Migrant Students Enrolled n/a n/a
School Performance:
(WI) Statewide Testing Performance
School Statewide Performance View Education Department Test Scores
School District:
School District Name Milwaukee School District
This School's Agency (WI) District Average
Number of Schools Managed 235 3
Number of Students Managed 97,364 students 1,018 students
District Total Revenue $1,136,031,000 $11,049,000
District Expenditure $1,197,722,000 $10,517,000
District Revenue / Student $11,668 $8,166
District Expenditure / Student $12,301 $7,594
District Graduation Rates 64% 100%
School Notes:
  • Riverside University High School is a public high school in Milwaukee, Wisconsin that has a strong emphasis on university curriculum. It is a part of Milwaukee Public Schools.
  • Pre-1912: Starting in the early 1850s the newly established city of Milwaukee was debating establishing a public high school. As early as 1860 Milwaukee had a high school program in the attic of an elementary school located near the Brady St. area. After several fires and expanding attendance, East Side High School opened for enrollment in the late 1880s. By 1906 a state of the art building broke ground on 1615 N. Locust St. Using then modern technology the building's architect was able to increase the window size by using a steel frame designed to bear the weight of the building. This also allowed for less restrictive and cheaper construction. The design is that of a four story U shaped building with a three story square building inside. The buildings are connected via five sky walks located on the second "main" floor for access to the auditorium and two stairwells to access either basement level gym, nicknamed "the dungeon." Many of the buildings around the school were inspired by the Elizabethan and Romanesque facade of the school.
  • 1912–1945: The new building, dubbed Riverside High School, officially opened for classes in the fall of 1915. Even though the new school was called Riverside High School, it was also known as East Division High School until the mid 80s. East Side High was a typical early 20th century high school with a mostly Caucasian student population. The school newspaper Sassy Times was one of the best school newspapers in the state of Wisconsin until Milwaukee, and its schools, entered a decline in the 70s and 80s.
  • Until the 1930s or 1940s Riverside did not have a school cafeteria and lacked a full library. By then Riverside received a renovation and a three story addition that added a third gym as well as a full cafeteria to the rear of the building, turning the U shape of the school into a square on all but the fourth floor. The third gym was originally intended to be a new pool, but cost and a looming war made it a want, not a need.
  • 1970s: By the 1970s Riverside High school, like many older urban schools, was in a state of rapid decay. The windows leaked water and snow and made the building's heating system unable to keep the staff and students warm. Nearly all aspects of the building were in disrepair. It was decided that a second addition and a renovation were in order. After a careful review, the building was retrofitted with new Plexiglas windows. The new windows yellowed over time and blocked much of the sunlight, as well as covered most of the window frame. A new building was added next to Riverside that included a 6 lane 25 yard pool, a gym larger than both the original gyms combined, 2 auto shops, 1 foundry room, 2 metal shops, a drivers Ed room, a fitness center and more general classroom space. This extra space allowed for the third floor cafeteria to be converted into a large library with three special media centers, while the basement level third gym was turned into a cafeteria. The new building made Riverside Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 compatible by adding street level and basement level ramps, as well as adding a second elevator; the original elevator is primarily used as a service elevator. The addition also added three open "commons" areas, the Cafeteria Commons, the Pool Commons and the Bookstore Commons, often used for gatherings. The new addition created several dead spaces rarely seen, including the old gym seating hidden behind a wall on the first floor near the rear hallway, and the hidden staircases. The hidden staircases run from the first floor to the fourth floor and are located between the old building and the new building elevator.
  • 1980s and 2000s: Along with several other schools in Milwaukee the 1980s saw major curriculum changes for Riverside. Advanced Placement classes were added and the school was rededicated as Riverside University High School. The nickname 'East Division High School' was dropped from the daily lexicon. With its new partnership with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Riverside had managed to transform itself from a decaying urban school into one of the best AP based high schools in the nation. Along with Rufus King High School Riverside is one of the best performing schools in the Metro Milwaukee Area. High standards have given way to higher test scores throughout the 1990's and into the 21st century.
  • Source: Wikipedia; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL
  • Add information about this school (e.g., awards, news stories, notable alumni, fun facts)
 
School Zip Code:
About This Zip Code (53211)
School Zip (53211) (WI) State Average
Population (Approximate) 35,225 people 5,159,713 people
% (age 25+) w/College Degree 71% 24%
Population Average Age 30 years old 35 years old
Average Household size 2.1 persons 2.4 persons
Median Household Income $43,109 $42,598
Avg. # of Rooms in Household 5.1 rooms 5.4 rooms
Median Age of Housing Structure 69 years old 47 years old
View current housing listings in this area
Median Value of Housing Unit
Zipcode (53211)



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% Owning / % Renting 41% / 59% 63% / 37%
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3. The Alliance School - 104 students - view location
4. Aurora Weier Edl Cente High School - 71 students - view location
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Note: Data has been gathered from several government and commercial data sources. School data reflects years 2002-04 statistics (most recent years available). Area and demographic data reflects year 2000 statistics. Public School Review does not ensure the timeliness or accuracy of the information on this site.

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