Westinghouse High School

Westinghouse High School, also known as The Academy at Westinghouse or Westinghouse Academy is one of 10 high schools and of four 6-12 schools in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. It is located in the Homewood neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and is named for Pittsburgh resident and entrepreneur George Westinghouse. As of October 2019, Westinghouse has an enrollment of 697 students, 95% of whom are African American. Westinghouse High School serves East Hills, East Liberty, Highland Park, Homewood North, Homewood South, Homewood West, Larimer, Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar, and Point Breeze North, as well as the nearby town of Wilkinsburg. The school's mascot is a bulldog. History Early years Westinghouse High School opened in 1917 and served a diverse population of middle- and working-class individuals who lived in the neighborhood of Homewood in Pittsburgh, PA. The school was built and opened by industrialist George Westinghouse whose home and electric business was located in Homewood. While the school opened in 1917, the building was not completed until 1924, and another annex was added in 1932 to give space for the 3,300 pupils that were enrolled at that time. The school employed well-regarded faculty and offered English, mathematics, history, science and technical programs like engine repair for boys and home economics for girls. 1940s and 1950s Midcentury marked a change in the racial makeup of Homewood as more Italian immigrants moved to the neighborhood and their children attended Westinghouse. Furthermore, African Americans made up larger percentages of the students at Westinghouse as White residents began moving to the suburbs.  By 1955, African American students made up 53.4% of enrolled students at Westinghouse.