The John Sayles School of Fine Arts (SSFA) is named after of one of our famous district graduates, internationally known filmmaker John Sayles. 

The school provides an integrated Regents high school curriculum with an interdisciplinary focus in Visual Art, Music, Theatre, and Dance.   The center is a 42,000 square foot wing at Schenectady High School that includes a black box theatre, dance studio, video production studio, media arts lab, piano lab, music studio, art studios, and The Henry and Miriam Butzel Gallery which features many student, staff, and visiting artist exhibits throughout the year.

 In The John Sayles School of Fine Arts, community partnerships provide our students with extensive opportunities to work with artists in residencies, see live performances, view professional artwork, and exhibit and perform in our community.  

Since its debut in 1998, The Sayles School of Fine Arts Blue Roses Theatre Company has performed more than 40 shows in its impressive 250-seat Black Box Theatre.  

The Sayles School of Fine Arts is one of the few schools statewide to offer dance.  Students study jazz, tap, ballet, Hip-Hop, and world dance.  Dance Connection is the school's performance troupe, which also provides students with experience in choreography, the physiology of dance, and performance planning.

SSFA currently has a concert band, two jazz bands, full and chamber orchestras, and a concert choir along with four select vocal performing groups.  The music department also offers piano, drumming, and theory classes.  The courses are designed to meet the needs of students and the program continually evolves to accommodate the current student population.

The Visual Arts curriculum offers a range of courses from Studio in Art to International Baccalaureate (IB) Visual Art, including ceramics, sculpture, photography, and computer arts.  The Henry and Miriam Butzel Gallery, which is located in the Sayles wing showcases student and community artwork during throughout the year.

The Schenectady High Fine Arts department consist of Dance, Theatre, Music and Visual Arts

• Students may complete sequences or concentrations. State Sequence/Endorsement requires a five-credit sequence.

• Students completing courses as listed below will earn a Fine Arts Endorsement on their diploma.

• Students may use the five-credit sequence in place of the Foreign Language Exam.The five-credit sequences as listed below meets the State Education requirement for a Regents diploma in place of the World Language sequence and exam.