Update on program transition at Benjamin E. Mays

Dear Benjamin E. Mays Families and Staff,

At the July 16, 2024, Board of Education meeting, the Board approved a plan for Benjamin E. Mays to transition its focus from the current International Baccalaureate (IB) program to an Afrocentric program starting in fall 2025. In response to additional feedback and input from the school community, we are exploring ways to modify the current timeline and plans for the new program. Thank you to those of you who shared your feedback and offered alternative solutions. 

For the 2025-26 school year, Benjamin E. Mays will remain an International Baccalaureate program and retain its 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. schedule. District administration will present a new resolution to the Board of Education in early 2025 with a modified timeline to open an Afrocentric program in the fall of 2026. As we move forward, district staff will work with the Afrocentric workgroup to continue exploring options to build a high-quality, culturally relevant and sustainable Afrocentric program in Saint Paul Public Schools. 

In the near future, we will invite families and staff to participate in an optional healing circle as we look for solutions for moving forward together. 

In Partnership, 

Jackie Turner, Executive Chief of Administration and Operations