History
The History of I.S. 187: The Christa McAuliffe School
In 1923, the building which is now known as IS 187 opened as an elementary school named PS 187. It later became the Bay Ridge High School Annex. The Bay Ridge High School Annex closed and the building became an office suite for District 20.
In 1994, District 20 decided to reopen the building as Intermediate School 187. The students and staff voted to name the school after Sharon Christa Corrigan McAuliffe, a teacher from New Hampshire who was selected from among more than 11,000 applicants to be the first teacher in space. McAuliffe died in 1986 in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
In 1995, the school divided into the three academies: The Academy of Arts and Humanities, The Academy of Scientific Research and The Academy of Global Communications which was renamed in 2012 to the Academy of Business and Law.
IS 187 became a middle school for gifted and talented students in 2004.