6979 Olean Rd
Wales Center, NY 14169

We are a small rural district that is located about 30 miles southeast of Buffalo, NY. Our school district was one of the first in the area to centralize over 80 years ago. Our Elementary School is named after the man that worked so tirelessly to centralize our schools. Despite being in the midst of the Great Depression, he followed his heart, knowing that bringing many small, one room school houses together and pooling our resources would afford our children the best educational opportunities possible. Our Elementary School is now home to over 450 UPK-6 grade students. Our area residents take great pride in our schools, as they are the "hub" of our community. Many of the locals remember our founding leader as their teacher, boss, mentor, principal, superintendent, and fellow neighbor. f Mr. Brumsted's ideals are still inspiring our students & faculty today as they strive to become all that they are capable of being in a safe, nurturing environment.

Benefits of Holland are close relationships with teachers and knowing just about everyone at the school, but I would not recommend this school. It is simply too small (about 240). This means that school clubs, sports, and AP classes have low participation. Many of my classes have 5 or fewer people, and a class that small lacks energy. It’s hard to find your specific niche and friend group when very few people do that activity. There is a lot of peer pressure to vape, drink, and smoke weed to fit in, even among athletes. The teachers are a mix: some are amazing, others are just going through the motions and do not care. Overall, the selection of classes and quality of education aren’t the best compared to a larger school, and our test scores reflect this. Many people develop a “who cares” attitude about school. I think there are some benefits to a small community, and the elementary and middle schools are great, but I would advise parents of incoming high school students to send their children somewhere else if possible.

I definitely have come to love Holland Middle School, it is so much better than any of my other schools.