The PSAL began back in 1903. Through the years many schools have been transformed and changed by the city of NY. This page covers as much of that history as I have been able to compile. Note: Some schools through the years have kept the original school name and are simply referred to as a Campus. (Example: Adlai Stevenson became Adlai Stevenson Campus with several small schools.) Those kind of name changes are not mentioned here.


A-Tech HS

Previous Names: Automotive HS & Brooklyn Automotive HS

The school opened in the 1920's. By the 1940's the word Brooklyn was dropped from the school title. The school was reorganized in 2015 and within a couple of years a new principal sought to end all associations with the old name and sought to rechristen the school as A-Tech HS and the mascot changed from the Pistons to the Panthers.

August Martin HS

Previous Names: Woodrow Wilson Vocational HS

The school opened in the 1942 as Woodrow Wilson Vocational HS. In 1971, Wilson was closed and August Martin became the new name of the school. Today there are 4 small schools on the campus which share the PSAL program.

Bayard Rustin HS

Previous Names: Textile HS, Charles Evans Hughes HS, Humanities HS

The school opened in the 1930 as Textile HS. In 1954 it was renamed Charles Evans Hughes HS. The school had issues with academics and violence and was phased out over 4 years and rebranded Humanities HS in 1983. It finally was renamed Bayard Rustin in the 2000's.

Boys & Girls HS

Previous Name: Boys High

The Boys & Girls HS story is an interesting one. For many decades there were 2 separate schools: Boys HS and Girls HS. In 1975 the two schools merged to form one campus.

Campus Magnet HS

Previous Name: Andrew Jackson HS

Andrew Jackson HS was built in 1937. In 1994 it became one of the earliest schools to be converted into multiple schools on one campus, hence the name change to Campus Magnet.

Fashion Industries HS

Previous Name: Central Needles Trade HS

In 1926 a small vocational school opened in the garment district of Manhattan called Central Needle Trades. The school moved to its current location in 1941. In 1956 the school was given its current name.

Food & Finance HS

Previous Names: Park West HS

The school opened in the 1977 as Park West HS. In 2007, Park West was closed and rebranded as Food & Finance in the same building.

George Westinghouse HS

Previous Names: Brooklyn HS for Specialty Trades

The school opened in the 1919. In 1947 it was renamed. School also

Grand St. Campus

Previous Name: Eastern District HS

This large school was one of the first in NYC to be closed by the DOE and transformed into a multi-campus school which shared a sports program. The change occurred sometime in the 1980's.

Graphic Arts

Previous Name: NY School of Printing

This school opened in 1925. In 1959 it was renamed as a new building opened.

John Jay Campus

Previous Names: Manuel Training HS & John Jay HS

Until 1956 the school was called Manuel Training HS. It was renamed John Jay and remained open until 2004 when the city created a multi-campus school. Interesting side note. One of the schools in the building Brooklyn Millennium HS was part of the Millennium HS (Manhattan) PSAL program until 2021. In 2021 both Millennium schools merged its sports programs with John Jay.

Manhattan Center HS

Previous Name: Benjamin Franklin HS

Benjamin Franklin opened in 1934 in Manhattan. In 1982 the city closed the school and established Manhattan Center HS. In 2018 the building was designated a landmark in NYC.

Paul Robeson HS

Previous Names: Commerical HS & Alexander Hamilton HS

The school opened in 1905 as Commerical HS. in 1924 the school was renamed Alexander Hamilton HS. In Feb of 1984 the city closed Hamilton and in September 1985 a new school opened on the campus: Paul Robeson.