About Edward A. Reynolds Transfer High School
Edward A. Reynolds Transfer High School seeks to develop economically self-sufficient, socially conscious, critically thinking citizens. Our school’s mission is to provide an educational environment that assists students who have been unsuccessful in traditional high school settings. We serve students who have been pushed out of, or become disenchanted with, their previous schools. Our school features a social work support staff and partnerships with numerous non-profit organizations to enhance the health and wellbeing of our students. In addition, we also offer PSAL sports, music classes, and classes in global political awareness. It is our goal at Edward A. Reynolds Transfer High School to support and teach students so that they may graduate and go on to fulfill their dreams, living healthy, productive, and prosperous lives. One way we do this work is by teaching and living out our Community Values. When students make mistakes or violate our Community Values, we work to support the students so they can resolve the issue peacefully and repair any harm that has been caused. The foundation for doing this work in our community lies in our relationships with one another, our communication with one another, and our ability to learn and grow. Instead of suspending students and kicking them out of classes, we work to repair the harm, create peace, and teach the lesson so that everyone can stay in school and remain focused on the task of graduating. Restorative Practices include but are not limited to: parent conferences, meetings with a social worker, mediations, restorative conferences, circles, and community service. When you leave us, we want you to have the social and emotional skills to live your best life.
Our Philosophy
Edward. A Reynolds Transfer High School staff members are dedicated to the belief that every student is capable of success in a nurturing and respectful environment. Students learn in an atmosphere which features smaller class sizes, a supportive Family Group advisory system, and extraordinary community partnerships. EARTHS is proud to employ a fully dedicated and talented staff, serving students who need a new, caring, and respectful academic and social environment.
Our History
Planning for West Side High School began during the summer of 1972, with a few adults and a group of young students from local public junior high schools, primarily Booker T. Washington Jr. HS 54 and JHS 44 on West 77th Street. Approval from the New York City Board of Education was granted during a NYC School Board public meeting where students, staff and parents all spoke in favor of the school. The first classes were in the Fall of 1972. West Side High was designed to be an alternative public school providing something more than the typical public high school fare. By the mid-1970s the population of the school was about 125 students, which grew to 325 in 1980, and to 500 by the 1990s.
West Side High School moved to 140 West 102nd Street in 1981 when the Board of Education lost its lease to the 93rd Street building. In the late 1980s, the building, which dated from the late 1800s, was condemned, and the school moved into an office building on West 35th Street and 8th Avenue. After eight long years at the 35th Street site, West Side returned to a new building built by the New York City Department of Education on the same site at 140 West 102nd Street. Edward A. Reynolds took over as Director in 1975, and served as Director and Principal of West Side High School for more than 25 years, until his sudden death in 2001.
In the spring of 2023, the Panel for Educational Policy proposed a resiting of West Side. The resiting was approved, and West Side was relocated to floors 7 through 11 of 105 E. 106th Street in East Harlem. In accordance with the new location, West Side's name became Edward A. Reynolds Transfer High School (EARTHS).