A Saint Paul elementary school in the historic Rondo neighborhood is set for a major reboot in fall 2026, when it relaunches as an Afrocentric PreK-5 campus that weaves Black history and culture into everyday classroom life. The new focus will replace the school’s current International Baccalaureate program with a curriculum grounded in African-centered values, community partnerships, and culturally responsive instruction. District leaders say the shift is aimed at boosting academic outcomes while deepening students’ sense of identity and belonging.
Quick background
As reported by MPR News, Saint Paul Public Schools plans to reopen Benjamin E. Mays as an Afrocentric school in fall 2026. That coverage follows months of planning and public meetings on how the new model will work inside classrooms and across the surrounding community.
What's changing at Ben Mays
The school board first signed off on the idea in July 2024, then pushed the timeline in April 2025 to allow for more community engagement, according to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. Under the current plan, Benjamin E. Mays will wrap up its IB program after the 2025-26 school year and reopen that fall as a PreK-5 Afrocentric program.
What the Afrocentric program will teach
Saint Paul Public Schools describes the new approach as standards-based and literature-rich, built to integrate the 8 Black Historical Consciousness principles and the Nguzo Saba framework so that African and African American histories show up in core subjects. As outlined by Benjamin E. Mays IB World School, the design is meant to affirm cultural identity while still meeting state benchmarks and supporting literacy and broader skill-building.
Who's leading it
Principal Danielle Hughes, who stepped into the role in mid-2025, has been steering the transition and told the KMOJ Morning Show that the program will lean into cultural pride, hands-on learning, and strong family partnerships. Reporting notes that community dinners and information sessions have helped introduce the plan to families and neighborhood partners.
How families can enroll
All current Benjamin E. Mays families will be able to stay at the school when the Afrocentric program begins and will not have to reapply. Families who want to remain in an IB track can opt into another SPPS IB elementary, with district transportation provided when needed, according to Saint Paul Public Schools. The school, at 560 Rondo Avenue, currently serves roughly 400-plus students, and district pages list enrollment details, program hours, and placement criteria for magnet schools.
Why Rondo matters
Rondo was once a thriving center of Black life and commerce, before the construction of Interstate 94 displaced many of its residents and businesses. Community leaders say locating an Afrocentric school there carries symbolic weight for cultural continuity and repair. Local histories collected by neighborhood groups document that displacement and help explain why an Afrocentric model in Rondo resonates far beyond the classroom, according to community reporting and archives.
For more context on the launch, see coverage from MPR News and conversations with school leaders on KMOJCast. Officials say additional details and engagement events will be posted on district pages as the school moves toward its fall 2026 opening.
