Westside Junior/Senior High Academy

An Alternative Junior/Senior High School

Students in class
Westside Academy is an alternative school designed for general education students where Restorative Practice is part of the culture. The program consists of three components: 
  • The Senior High Academy, grades 9-12 
  • The Junior High Academy, grades 7 and 8 
  • And the Recovery and Wellness Program, grades 7-12. 
The students attending Westside Academy are referred by their home districts when it is decided they will benefit academically, socially and personally from smaller class sizes, credit recovery and immediate access to counseling support.

Westside Academy focuses on helping students overcome patterns of past behaviors, including academic struggles and attendance issues; our credit recovery initiatives are particularly effective at getting students back on track with their cohort. We prepare students for post-secondary education and life-long career opportunities.

We teach strategies to build character and give students the social and emotional support they need for success in the world of work and in the community. Westside Academy is a novel teaching community which enhances student strengths, fosters commitment to goals and dreams, and builds positive citizenship skills.

The Westside Academy Approach

Westside teacher working with student
At Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy:  
  • Students follow Regents-degree programming aligned with New York State standards and with the academic expectations of our Monroe 2-Orleans BOCES component districts.  
  • Class sizes average 15 students per teacher, giving each of our learners extensive exposure to subject-area material and maximized interaction with their teachers.  
  • Our staff of counselors, aides and behavioral assistants works with students individually to help them grow beyond at-risk behaviors, instilling them with the personal and social interactive skills required for success.  
  • The unique Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy atmosphere is created by staff members who use time outside of formal classroom instruction to work one-on-one with students who need extra help. Relationships are formed -- we socialize, play basketball or go for walks with students -- building the trust students need to get the greatest benefit from their learning experience.

Does our approach work? With graduation rates at 99%, our results tell us we're on the right track, and individual students tell us we're an important influence in their lives. But our real goal -- all statistics, targets and percentages notwithstanding -- is simple and direct: to show each student in our care that learning is not beyond them, and that life holds infinite opportunities.  

Visitors 
All visitors must come to the main office to be signed in and provided a Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy escort. 

Referrals
Referrals to Monroe 2-Orleans Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy come from a student’s home school  district. Parents are encouraged to speak with a representative from  their child’s district for more information about the referral process.

For more information about Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy, please contact:  Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy Principal Martha L. Willis 585-617-2550 OR Clerical at 585-617-2550,  FAX 617-2590.

Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy is located at 3555 Buffalo Road, Rochester NY 14624. 

Recovery High School at Westside Academy

The Recovery High School Program at Westside Academy is a special place where students in grades 7-12 seeking or continuing treatment for substance use disorder can find the support they need to reach their full potential and achieve educational success. The program combines the rigorous academic classes needed to earn a New York State high school Regent’s diploma, in collaboration with Huther Doyle who supplies on-site substance use disorder counseling services, individual counseling, group counseling, personalized treatment and goal setting. Our clinician is on site full time and is embedded with staff and students as part of our school community.

Our students in grades 7-12 who are at risk of, or recovering from, substance use disorder may be referred by their home school districts using the current referral process in place for Westside Academy. Eligible students who are committed to recovery may be evaluated and enrolled less than a week after referral.

For more information, contact Westside Jr./Sr. High Academy principal Martha Willis at 585-617-2550

Congratulations 2023 Westside Academy Graduates!