ST. LOUIS — It’s the start of a new legacy for a south St. Louis school. St. Louis Public Schools re-dedicated the former Kennard Classical Junior Academy to a former St. Louis educator Thursday. It comes after a movement to strip the name of a Confederate army leader.
If "out with the old, in with the new" was a classroom lesson, there’s a group of students who would pass by simply witnessing it firsthand. So would their parents.
“Oh my goodness. It has been quite a journey,” Fantini Spies said.
She has a 4th grader at a school that's had several name changes. For years, the building was known as the Kennard Classical Junior Academy, in honor of former St. Louis businessman Samuel Kennard.
"We believe he had ties to the Klu Klux Klan and was a founder of the Veiled Prophets Society,” Spies added.
Parents put up a fight and convinced school leaders to remove the reference to Kennard. In 2020, the school was temporarily re-named Classical Junior Academy.
Now, a new milestone.
"So now the school is Betty Wheeler Classical Junior Academy,” said Principal Steven Kyle Jefferson.
Signage around the school reflects the change. The late Betty Wheeler founded the Metro School in St. Louis. She’s known for promoting a culture of inclusion and giving tough love. Thursday, the community gathered for a rededication ceremony.
Wheeler's daughter was there.
"She worked hard. She sacrificed and it's good to know her students {and} St. Louis Public Schools have recognized her for her accomplishments and the things she has done. It feels really good. I'm proud of my mom,” Gayle Wheeler-Williams said.
School leaders approved the name change last summer. Parents say it's a long time coming.
"We didn't give up and we kept asking the Superintendent, and asking the school board,” Spies said.
Persistence and patience resulted in a newfound pride.
"We need to be honoring folks like Betty Wheeler and others instead of just sticking with what was done 100 years ago because it's been this way for 100 years,” she added.
The community began referencing the school by its new name at the start of this school year. Thursday’s rededication ceremony makes it official.