Rome Free Academy

{{Short description|Public high school in Rome, New York, United States}}

{{Infobox school

| name = Rome Free Academy

| seal_image = RFA_Coat_of_arms.png

| caption = Coat of arms

| other_name = RFA

| address = 95 Dart Circle

| city = Rome

| state = New York

| zipcode = 13441

| country = United States

| school_board = Board of Education

| district = Rome City School District

| coordinates = {{Coord|43|12|40|N|75|24|55|W|type:edu}}

| established = {{start date and age|1869}} {{cite web|url=https://romesentinel.com/stories/rome-free-academy-commemorates-150th-senior-class-with-time-capsule,78671|title=Rome Free Academy commemorates 150th senior class with time capsule|last=Gymburch|first=Dave|publisher=Rome Sentinel|date=June 29, 2019|access-date= September 19, 2020}}

| enrollment = 1,482 (2018-2019)

| mascot = Knight with orange plume

| song = RFA Alma Mater {{cite book |url=https://www.classmates.com/siteui/yearbooks/77295?page=41|title=De-O-Wain-Sta, 1946|page=38|date=1946}}{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIdKQhoaih0|title=RFA ALMA MATER Graduation 2010|medium=Video recording|date=June 26, 2010|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

| feeder_schools = Lyndon H. Strough

| newspaper = The Knight Times {{cite web|url=https://www.rfa.romecsd.org/about_r_f_a/knight_times|title=Knight Times|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

| athletic conference = New York State Public High School Athletic Association

| yearbook = De-O-Wain-Sta{{cite web|url=https://www.rfa.romecsd.org/about_r_f_a/de-_o-_wain-_sta|title=De-O-Wain-Sta|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

| colors = Orange and black {{color box|#FF8432}}{{color box|#000000}}

| type = Comprehensive public high school
secondary school

| teaching_staff = 105 (2018-2019){{cite web|url=https://nces.ed.gov/ccd/schoolsearch/school_detail.asp?ID=362490003449#|title=Rome Free Academy public school data 2018-2019 |access-date = September 19, 2020}}

| nickname = Knights

| gender = Co-educational

| grades = 9–12

| budget = $27,605,638 (2019-2020){{cite web|url=https://romecsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695381/Image/Transparency%202019/2019-20%20NYS%20Transparency%20Report.pdf|title=2019-20 NYS Transparency Report|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

| principal = Brian LeBaron {{cite web|url=https://www.rfa.romecsd.org/about_r_f_a/principal_s_message|title=Principal's Message|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.romecsd.org/o/rfa}}

}}

Rome Free Academy (commonly abbreviated as RFA) is a four-year public high school in Rome, New York, United States. It is a part of the Rome City School District.

As it is the sole comprehensive high school in its school district, it serves as the high school for the majority of the City of Rome as well as the census-designated places of Lake Delta and Westernville.

History

There was an institution called "Rome Academy" established in 1848. It was a school which took both day and boarding students which required tuition fees. Over time it evolved into RFA. The Rome Daily Sentinel stated that "the R.F.A. surely reaches back to 1848 for its roots."{{cite news|title=When Was Hamilton 'Founded'?|newspaper=The Rome Daily Sentinel|date=1949-11-07|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703076/ 6]|via=Newspapers.com}} By 1989 the Justice Building had occupied the original Rome Academy site.{{cite news|last=Updike|first=Fritz|title=Purely personal prejudices|newspaper=The Rome Daily Sentinel|date=1989-05-26|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703909/ 6]|via=Newspapers.com}}

The initial portion of the previous campus was built in 1926.{{cite news|last=Haley|first=Chip|title=Crowd turns out to support effort to save old high school|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=2002-10-30|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702620/ 3]|via=Newspapers.com}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702643/ Illustration] Subsequent additions were built.{{cite news|last=Haley|first=Chip|title=Stage set for RFA class of '02|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=2002-06-21|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703782/ 2]|via=Newspapers.com}}

The school moved to the former site of Griffiss Air Force Base in September 2002,{{cite web | title=Schools | website=City of Rome | date=2016-01-21 | url=https://romenewyork.com/schools/ | access-date=2024-07-17}} having previously been located at 500 Turin St. Classes no longer used the 1926 onward building. This former site is the current location of Rome Free Academy's athletic facilities.

The 2002 campus had a cost of $45,400,000. The main school sign uses Arial bold, differing from the previous school sign.{{cite news|last=Haley|first=Chip|title=Sign of new times at new RFA|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=2002-05-04|volume=121|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702085/ 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702102/ 7]|via=Newspapers.com}} - [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702136/ Examples of typefaces] and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702167/ Typface of original building]

There was a movement to preserve the original 1926 portion of the previous RFA building. A member of the board of trustees, Leonard H. Cross, proposed conducting a poll of district residents on whether the former building should be preserved.{{cite news|title=Poll voters on saving old RFA?|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=2002-10-30|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161702723/ 3]|via=Newspapers.com}}

During the 2018–2019 academic year the school enrolled 1,482 students in grades nine through twelve.{{cite web|url=https://data.nysed.gov/enrollment.php?year=2019&instid=800000041378|title=Rome Free Academy Enrollment (2018 - 19)|access-date=September 20, 2020}}

Curriculum

Rome Free Academy offers a general high school education through a regular curriculum of mathematics, social studies, English, science, art, music, health, and a selected foreign language. Rome Free Academy also includes a multiple business classes.{{Cite web| title=Course Catalog 2018-2019 | url=http://www.rfa.romecsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695243/File/Course%20Catalog%202018%20-2019.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827205957/http://www.rfa.romecsd.org/UserFiles/Servers/Server_695243/File/Course%20Catalog%202018%20-2019.pdf | archive-date=2018-08-27}}

Extracurricular activities

A black history club was first created by John Cavness (died circa 1999).{{cite web|url=https://www.norwichbulletin.com/story/news/2009/02/09/our-view-all-must-embrace/45985287007/|title=Our view: All must embrace our history|newspaper=Norwich Bulletin|date=2009-02-09|access-date=2024-12-28}}

Athletics

Rome Free Academy's sports teams are called the Black Knights. The school colors are black and orange.http://rome.ny.schoolwebpages.com/education/components/scrapbook/default.php?sectionid=11&url_redirect=1 Schoolwebpages.com

Notable in history in the 2010s is the addition of a comprehensive Positive Behavior Initiatives and Support (PBIS) initiative, which includes a range of measures to help solve student behavioral problems.{{cite web | url=http://leadingthroughlistening.blogspot.com/2018/01/k-coins-abound.html | title='K'-Coins Abound }}{{cite news | url=https://romesentinel.com/stories/from-discipline-to-new-look-lockers-many-changes-at-rfa,27879 | title=From discipline to new look lockers, many changes at RFA | newspaper=Daily Sentinel }}

The original facility for home athletic games was the ex-Oneida County Fairgrounds, beginning in 1892. RFA began using Wright Field for home games instead in 1933, then Colonel's Park in 1940, Wright Field again in 1941, and then Colonel's Park again due to vandalism of Wright Field. In 1944 the school community began the process of trying to have a permanent stadium. In 1946 the process to turn Colonel's Park into housing meant that the school could no longer use it for athletic games, and it did not have a home facility. A permanent stadium facility opened in 1950.{{cite news|last=Mende|first=Mark|title=Community effort made stadium dream reality in 1950|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=1990-09-13|pages=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703472/ 3], [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703514/ 6]|via=Newspapers.com}} In 1990, Mark Mende of The Rome Daily Sentinel wrote that the stadium "is in need of some upgrading and repair."{{cite news|last=Mende|first=Mark|title=After 40 years of battles, the Stadium needs a facelift|newspaper=Rome Daily Sentinel|date=1990-09-13|page=[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/161703639/ 3]|via=Newspapers.com}}

Attendance boundary

The district (which is the high school attendance boundary) includes the majority of the City of Rome. It also includes portions of the following towns: Annsville, Lee, Verona, and Western. The Rome school district includes the census-designated places of Lake Delta and Westernville.{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st36_ny/schooldistrict_maps/c36065_oneida/DC20SD_C36065.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Oneida County, NY|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|accessdate=2023-04-09}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st36_ny/schooldistrict_maps/c36065_oneida/DC20SD_C36065_SD2MS.txt Text list].

Notable alumni

Ben Baldanza, former CEO of Spirit Airlines
Joseph H. Boardman, transportation executive{{cite web|url=https://barryfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/1039/Joseph-Boardman/obituary.html | title=Obituary of Joseph H. Boardman| date=March 15, 2019|accessdate=February 15, 2023}}
Don Healy, NFL player
Rob Manfred, commissioner of Major League Baseball{{cite web|url=http://bigfrog104.com/rob-manfred-commissioner-of-baseball/?trackback=tsmclip | title=RFA Class Of 1976 Graduate Rob Manfred Voted Next Commissioner Of Baseball| date=14 August 2014|accessdate=August 14, 2014}}
Tom Myslinski, NFL player
Spencer Parrish, Musical composer
Steve Roser, professional baseball player{{cite news |last1=Herbst |first1=Fred |title=Ex-Yankee pitcher to join Hall of Fame |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-sentinel-ex-yankee-pitcher-to-join/162055612/ |access-date=2 January 2025 |work=Daily Sentinel |date=30 April 1980 |pages=23}}
Tim Russ, actor
M. Woolsey Stryker, Presbyterian pastor and president of Hamilton College
Bonnie Thunders, roller derby player
Edyth Walker, opera singer with the Metropolitan Opera and Vienna State Opera{{cite web|url=https://romecapitol.squarespace.com/2015inductees | title=Rome Arts Hall of Fame 2015 Inductees| accessdate=August 7, 2014}}

References

Category:Public high schools in New York (state)

Category:Rome, New York

Category:Schools in Oneida County, New York

Category:1869 establishments in New York (state)

Category:Educational institutions established in 1869