By Jillian Bannister
Buffalo, NY – Some Buffalo school students in grades five through eight recently moved to a new refurbished school building with a new school number. Public School 302, the Emerson Middle School, has become Public School 97, and now has an enrollment of about 550 students.
Mayor Masiello spoke to a group of 60 students in the school's gymnasium Wednesday, encouraging them to take advantage of all that their new school has to offer.
"What you're seeing here today is our chance to give you what you need," Masiello said. "It is your chance and your opportunity to make sure that you take advantage of every tool and every book so that you can compete with people all over this country and the world for the jobs of tommorow."
Public School #97 is one of nine schools renovated during Phase I of the 10-year, $1 billion Buffalo Public School Reconstruction project. The school received $22 million in renovations, which represents the most extensive construction effort in the district thus far.