John Adams has three floors and a basement. The basement contains the cafeteria, locker rooms, weight-training room, a swimming pool, numerous classrooms, and a Northwell-LIJ School Based Health Center that opened in 2015. The campus of John Adams is roughly six by three city blocks, with baseball, tennis, track, and football fields behind the school. The school also has three gymnasiums. There is also a library, an auditorium, a Virtual Enterprise Room which is a simulated business class, and several computer and science labs throughout all three floors.
Academics
Grade levels: 9 to 12
Ethnicity:
*4% White 28% Black 37% Hispanic 28% Asian/Pacific Islander.
Gender %: 52.8 Male, 47.2 Female
Attendance: 79.9%
Graduation rate: 53.6%.
6-year graduation rate: 67.2% as of 2009-2010.
College enrollment: 42.8%
Current School Grade: John Adams recently received a from the Board of Education. - 2009-2010.
Special programs
The school offers specialized programs in vision care as well as medical and dental technology.
Taking single sessions of math and English also frees up more time for students to enjoy electives and Advanced Placement courses.
The school offers College Now, a program run by CUNY offering accredited college courses on site at the high school.
The school has "collaborative team teaching" classes, where two teachers work with a group of special- and general education students.
All incoming freshman may take classes the summer before and after the 9th grade, which means that they can start the 10th grade with as many as 19 of the 44 credits required for graduation.
For older students who are at risk of dropping out, there is the PM program—an afternoon session designed to deliver instruction of core subjects in a single classroom environment.
The school offers day and nighttime GED programs and vocational training. Vocational training is handled off-site.
The school offers special ed for those with learning challenges.
Notable people
Alumni
Eddie Buczynski, prominent Wiccan and gay activist. He attended from 1962 till dropping out in 1964, largely because of the bullying that he had faced at the school.
Jack Lord, American actor, director and the star of the long-running TV show "Hawaii Five-O," .
Richard Parsons, International business leader, former CEO of Time-Warner, Citi-Bank, General-Consul to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller, Presidential Advisor.
Nick Santamaria, Mike Mincelli and Vinnie Narcardo, founding members of The Capris vocal group. Their most famous Doo Wop recording was "There's a Moon Out Tonight".
Former teachers
Lenny Schultz, acclaimed television comedian and stand-up comic who taught physical education at John Adams High School while at the same time appearing on television shows such as the Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, the Merv Griffin Show, NBC's Laugh-In , Blansky's Beauties , Ball Four , The Pink Panther Laugh and a Half Hour and a Half Show , and Drawing Power
