Brighton High School (Rochester, New York)

{{Infobox school

| name = Brighton High School

| image = BrightonHighSchoolNewYorkFront.jpg

| image_size = 200px

| streetaddress = 1150 Winton Road

| city = Rochester

| state = New York

| zipcode = 14618

| country = United States

| coordinates = {{coord|43|7|24|N|77|34|00|W|type:edu_region:US-NY_scale:10000|display=inline,title}}

| established =

| district = Brighton Central School District

| principal = Thomas Hall

| average_class_size = 290

| graduates = 97%

| grades = 9-12

| mascot =

| school_colors = {{color box|navy}} {{color box|white}} {{color box|gray}}

| yearbook = Crossroads

| publication = Galaxy

| newspaper = Trapezoid

| enrollment = 1,182 (2023–2024){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?Search=1&DistrictID=3605460&ID=360546000272|title=BRIGHTON HIGH SCHOOL|publisher=National Center for Education Statistics|accessdate=March 28, 2025}}

| ratio = 12.11

| teaching_staff = 97.61 (FTE)

| homepage = {{URL|https://bhs.bcsd.org/}}

}}

Brighton High School, commonly abbreviated BHS, is a public high school located in Brighton, an incorporated town adjacent to the southeast border of Rochester, New York, United States. It offers a comprehensive curriculum for students in grades 9–12. It is part of the Brighton Central School District.

Academics

The class of 2024 graduated 278 students. There were four National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists and twelve commended students. For the class of 2024, about 88% of graduates chose to go onto high education, with the majority going to four-year colleges. Brighton regularly sends numerous graduates to top colleges and universities, including alumni currently at the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Harvard University, Williams College, Princeton University, the University of Rochester, the University of Maryland, Stanford University, Georgetown University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.https://s3.amazonaws.com/scschoolfiles/5036/bhs_profile_24-25_1.pdf

In 2024, Brighton offered Advanced Placement (AP) classes in numerous subjects, including Calculus (AB and BC), Biology, Physics (1, 2, and C), Chemistry, Environmental Science, Government and Politics, Psychology, United States History, European History, Statistics, Studio Art, English Literature, English Language, Spanish, French, German, and Computer Science.{{cite web|title=BHS Program of Studies|url=http://www.bcsd.org/files/filesystem/Program%20of%20Studies.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923182913/http://www.bcsd.org/files/filesystem/Program%20of%20Studies.pdf|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 September 2015|accessdate=4 January 2012}}

Performance

File:BrightonHighSchoolTrophyCase.jpg

The school has appeared on Newsweek magazine's Top 100 Public High Schools list. In 1998, Brighton achieved its highest ranking on the Newsweek list, in 5th place. In 2004, it was ranked 27th in the nation. In 2006, it was placed 96th. In 2007, it was placed 79th, one ahead of Pittsford Mendon High School. In 2008, it was ranked 158, fifth among schools in the Rochester area behind Pittsford Sutherland, Pittsford Mendon, Greece Odyssey and Wilson Magnet. Rankings fluctuate heavily based upon AP exams administered relative to the graduating senior class. In 2010, Brighton was placed 126th.[http://rocnow.com/article/local-news/20106260330] {{dead link|date=December 2012}}

In 2007, U.S. News & World Report magazine ranked Brighton High School 57th out of 18,790 public high schools. It was the only Monroe County school on the list.{{cite news |title=Brighton named national Gold Medal HS |url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=200771130004 |newspaper=Democrat and Chronicle |date=1 December 2007 |accessdate=1 December 2007 }}

Publications and productions

Trapezoid is Brighton High School's monthly school newspaper. Sections include news, feature, opinion, in depth and sports.{{cite web|title=Trapezoid Website|url=http://www.bcsd.org/trapezoid/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020715030555/http://bcsd.org/trapezoid/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2002-07-15}} The newspaper has repeatedly received a number of awards, including first place in the Bertram Freed Memorial Award Competition, and New York's Best Newspaper and Best Online Publication from the Empire State School Press Association for several years in a row.{{cite news|title=Brighton High School publications earn honors |url=http://www.brightonpittsfordpost.com/latestnews/x742798221/Brighton-High-School-publications-earn-honors |accessdate=1 January 2012 |newspaper=Brighton Pittsford Post |date=November 5, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425231948/http://www.brightonpittsfordpost.com/latestnews/x742798221/Brighton-High-School-publications-earn-honors |archivedate=25 April 2012 }}

Crossroads, Brighton High School's yearbook, was founded in 1933. It is distributed at BHS's annual Springfest.{{cite web|title=Crossroads Website|url=http://www.bcsd.org/bhs.cfm?subpage=1156|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040426142525/http://www.bcsd.org/bhs.cfm?subpage=1156|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-04-26}}

Galaxy, created in 1954, is Brighton's art and literary magazine. Galaxy continues its tradition of holding meetings at students' homes on Sunday evenings.{{cite web |title=Galaxy Website |url=http://www.galaxylitmag.org/ |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629064344/http://galaxylitmag.org/ |archivedate=2013-06-29 }} Galaxy is entirely student-created, with the help of advisor and art teacher Debra Burger and is printed locally. In 2009, the magazine received a First Place with Special Merit award from the American Scholastic Press Association for its article on French sub ordinance. That same year, Jessy Randall (BHS class of 1988) published a young adult novel about Galaxy, The Wandora Unit.{{cite web|title=Goodreads page for The Wandora Unit|url=https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/6658976}} Galaxy received the Gold/All New York Award, as well as the Award for Originality from the annual ESSPA (Empire State Scholastic Press Association) Conference in 2011. Many individual Galaxy members won Gold awards in their respective fields at this conference as well.{{cite web|title=Brighton Performing Arts|url=http://www.bcsd.org/webpages/arts/visualarts.cfm?subpage=50404|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100616024333/http://bcsd.org/webpages/arts/visualarts.cfm?subpage=50404|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-06-16}}

The Morning Show began in the 1986–1987 school year with Brighton Beat, a precursor to The Morning Show. This show included one news and one interview show each week. In 1991, The Morning Show was officially created at BHS by producers Bennett Killmer and Joe Nussbaum, with the help of a teacher, Richard Tschorke. Nussbaum went on to direct the short film George Lucas in Love and the feature films Sleepover and Sydney White starring Amanda Bynes. Tschorke was the advisor to the club for twenty years, later to be succeeded by Chris French as the new club advisor. The show originally only had a few small cameras. Since then, it has grown to include two Blackmagic Design studio cameras, a Behringer Audio Mixer, a graphics program from Datavideo called CG-500 and a Blackmagic Design ATEM 1 M/E Switcher.{{cite web|url=http://bhsmorningshow.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/2/0/25200392/bhs_morning_show_parts_list.pptx|title=BHS Morning Show Parts List|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=3 July 2017}} The show started streaming over the internet exclusively starting in the 2015-2016 school year.{{cite web|url=http://bhsmorningshow.weebly.com/|title=The BHS Morning Show Homepage|last=|first=|date=|website=|access-date=3 July 2017}}

Extracurricular activities

Many of Brighton's extracurricular teams have performed well in competitions:

Brighton Science Olympiad
The team was regional champion from 2010 to 2014.
Brighton Math Team{{cite web |title=Monroe County Math League 2013-2014 |url=http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/MCML/files/february%202013-14%20booklet.pdf |publisher=Monroe County Math League |accessdate=13 September 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140223193843/http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/webpages/MCML/files/february%202013-14%20booklet.pdf |archivedate=23 February 2014 |date=February 2014}}
Brighton FBLA http://www.nysfbla.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2013-SLC-Award-Winners.pdf{{dead link|date=July 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Brighton Envirothon{{cite web |title=2013 New State Envirothon Score Sheet |url=http://www.nysenvirothon.net/2013_Score_Sheet.pdf |website=www.nysenvirothon.net |accessdate=13 September 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303235405/http://www.nysenvirothon.net/2013_Score_Sheet.pdf |archivedate=3 March 2016 |date=2013}}
Brighton Chess Team {{cite web|url=http://www.nychess.org/league/13-14chR1.html|title=Rochester Chess League 1|publisher=|accessdate=4 October 2014}}
The team was the upstate NY champions in 2022, 2023, and 2024.{{Cite web |title=2024 Rochester Interscholastic Chess League Playoffs |url=https://nychess.org/league/2024Rchessplayoffs.html |access-date=2025-03-17 |website=nychess.org}}
Brighton was also the 2023 central NY champion,{{Cite web |title=US Chess MSA - Cross Table for 8TH ANNUAL CENTRAL NY OPEN! (Event 202210230162) |url=http://www.uschess.org/msa/XtblMain.php?202210230162.1-16084835 |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=www.uschess.org}} with a 4th place finish in the state scholastic championship.{{Cite web |title=New York State Scholastic ChampionshipsTeams for Highschool Championship |url=https://chessevents.com/event/nyscholastics/2023/teams/hsc |access-date=2023-09-30 |website=chessevents.com}}
Brighton Masterminds
The team was named Rochester regional champion in 1995, 1997, 2005, 2014, 2015, and 2019.{{cite web|url=http://www.nymasterminds.com/program/titles.html|title=Championships|website=www.nymasterminds.com}}
In 2014 and 2015, the team placed second in the state championship meet.{{cite web |url=http://www.nymasterminds.com/league/2014states.html |title=Archived Document |accessdate=2015-01-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140814060339/http://www.nymasterminds.com/league/2014states.html |archivedate=2014-08-14 }}

Brighton offers other extracurriculars, including Mock Trial, Tutoring Club, Math Team, Gender and Sexuality Alliance Club, Climate Club, Brighton On Board (a board game focused club), Friends of Rachel, and Bruins e-Sports Club.{{Cite web|title=BHS CLUBS 2021 - 2022|url=https://www.bcsd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=28&dataid=64132&FileName=Clubs%20and%20Activities%20Alphabetical%202021-2022.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=7 February 2022|website=Brighton Central Schools|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207203241/https://www.bcsd.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=28&dataid=64132&FileName=Clubs%20and%20Activities%20Alphabetical%202021-2022.pdf |archive-date=2022-02-07 }}

Notable alumni

Ernie Clement (2014), baseball player
Richard Ben Cramer (1967), Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and screenwriter{{cite web|url=http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130108/NEWS01/301080053/Richard-Ben-Cramer-dies?nclick_check=1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006082828/http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20130108/NEWS01/301080053/Richard-Ben-Cramer-dies?nclick_check=1|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 October 2014|title="Richard Ben Cramer, award-winning journalist and Brighton native, dies," The Associated Press, Tuesday, January 8, 2013|website=Democrat and Chronicle|accessdate=4 October 2014}}
Tom Cross (1987), Academy Award-winning film editor{{cite web |title=Brighton native Tom Cross wins film editing Oscar-D&C Article-February 23, 2015 {{!}} The Housing Council at PathStone |url=http://www.thehousingcouncil.org/news/2015/02/brighton-native-tom-cross-wins-film-editing-oscar-dc-article-february-23-2015/ |website=www.thehousingcouncil.org |accessdate=8 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180822214604/http://www.thehousingcouncil.org/news/2015/02/brighton-native-tom-cross-wins-film-editing-oscar-dc-article-february-23-2015/ |archive-date=22 August 2018 |url-status=dead }}
Winston Duke (2004), actor, appeared on Modern Family, Person of Interest, Marvel's Black Panther and 2018's Avengers: Infinity War{{cite web |last1=Arnold |first1=Alexis |title=From Brighton High School to Wakanda: Winston Duke remembers his days in Rochester |url=https://13wham.com/news/local/from-brighton-high-school-to-wakanda-winston-duke-remembers-his-days-in-rochester |website=WHAM |accessdate=17 March 2019 |date=22 May 2018}}
Tina Monshipour Foster (1993), lawyer and director of the International Justice Network, focusing on providing "free legal assistance to victims of torture, illegal imprisonment, and political and religious persecution."{{cite web|url=http://www.brightonalumni.org/bsaa-announces-new-hall-of-famers/|title=BSAA/BHS Alumni Hall of Fame|website=Brighton Schools Alumni Association|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150810083521/http://www.brightonalumni.org/bsaa-announces-new-hall-of-famers/|archivedate=2015-08-10}}
Hank Greenwald (1953), sportscaster{{cite web|url=http://talkerofthetown.com/2018/10/23/brighton-high-school-loses-one-of-its-two-great-sportscasters-howard-greenwald-53/|title=Brighton High School loses one of its two great sportscasters, Hank Greenwald '53|last=Kramer|first=David|website=Talker of the Town|date=October 23, 2018|accessdate=November 16, 2018}}
Tom Hamburger (1970), journalist, among a group of journalists at The Washington Post credited with a Pulitzer Prize in 2018 for investigative reporting{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-washington-post-wins-2-pulitzer-prizes-for-reporting-on-russian-interference-and-alabama-senate-race/2018/04/16/0915c310-4197-11e8-8569-26fda6b404c7_story.html | title=The Washington Post wins 2 Pulitzer Prizes for reporting on Russian interference and the Senate race in Alabama | newspaper=The Washington Post|date=April 16, 2018 | accessdate=June 28, 2019}}
Shirley Jackson (1934), author
Ilya Kaminsky (1996), Soviet-American poet
Jess Klein (1991), singer-songwriter [http://www.jessklein.com/bio/ Bio Jess Klein] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130912195858/http://www.jessklein.com/bio/ |date=September 12, 2013 }}{{citation needed|reason=linked article and reference do not confirm membership|date=July 2018}}
Jon Kolko (1996), designer and author{{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=July 2018}}
Hudson Leick (1987), actor{{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=July 2018}}
Josh Lewin (1986), sportscaster
Jenna Marbles (2004), YouTube star and blogger{{cite web|url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/local/communities/blogs/our-towns/2015/07/24/congrats---bhs-alum/30605805/|title=Congrats to a BHS alum!|date=July 24, 2015|work=Democrat and Chronicle|last=Thaler-Carter|first=Ruth}}
Matt Medved (2004), editor-in-chief of Spin{{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=December 2018}}
Dennis Mepham (1976), professional soccer player that played in the NASL and the MISL
Joe Nussbaum (1991), film director {{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=July 2018}}
Thomas Richards (1961), former mayor of Rochester, NY{{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=July 2018}}
William Scandling (1940), businessman who founded Saga Corporation, a food service company whose remnants are now part of Sodexo.{{Cite web |url=http://www.brightonalumni.org/documents/06BSAAHoFDinnerProgram.pdf |title=Archived Document |access-date=2018-03-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080828060248/http://www.brightonalumni.org/documents/06BSAAHoFDinnerProgram.pdf |archive-date=2008-08-28 |url-status=dead }}
Arthur Schneider (1948) four-time Emmy Award winning television editor
Kristen Wiig (1991), actress and comedian, cast member of Saturday Night Live from 2005 to 2012, and an Academy Award and BAFTA nominee for Best Original Screenplay for her film Bridesmaids{{Cite news |url=https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/02/19/rochester-snl-connections/23701647/ |title=10 Rochester connections to Saturday Night Live |work=Rochester Democrat and Chronicle |access-date=9 September 2023 |language=en}}
Rodin Younessi (1986), professional race car driver{{citation needed|reason=linked article does not have sourced content confirming membership|date=July 2018}}

References

External links

{{Official website|https://www.bcsd.org/BHS}}
[http://www.bcsd.org/ Brighton Central School District website]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20120723022610/https://www.nystart.gov/publicweb-rc/2006/CIR-2006-260101060004.pdf NY State Education Department - The New York State School Report Card for Brighton High School 2006]
[https://archive.today/20120707062126/http://bhsalumni.net/servlet/famous.FamousAlumni Famous Brighton High School alumni]

Category:High schools in Monroe County, New York

Category:Public high schools in New York (state)

Category:Buildings and structures in Brighton, Monroe County, New York