The Rochester City School District Board of Education voted on Tuesday to change the names for seven schools for the fall.
Incorporating input from the community, the board says it will rename School #34 the Ida B. Wells-Barnett Elementary School in honor of a journalist and activist who fought against lynching in the U.S.
School #46 will be named the Austin Steward Elementary School, memorializing the author and abolitionist who made Rochester his home.
Five other schools will also receive new monikers honoring African American pioneers in the area.
New middle schools:
- Dr. Freddie Thomas Middle School, 625 Scio Street
- Andrew Langston Middle School, 1 Edgerton Park
- Thurgood Marshall Middle School, 4115 Lake Avenue
- Loretta Johnson Middle School, 200 Genesee Street
New high school:
- Padilla High School, 950 Norton Street
It's all a result of the district's comprehensive reconfiguration plan, closing 11 schools and rearranging grade groupings into five new institutions.
District leaders say the reconfiguration plan will help address issues caused by teacher shortages and declining enrollment.
