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Open fields stretch to the north and west of Heritage E-STEM Middle School in West St. Paul with a history that stretches back to the Depression era. The original Sibley High School and Grass Junior High that preceded Heritage were located here. It was an expanding school complex that grew and morphed before being torn down in 1998.
Why it matters: This is the story of the aging and nearly lost schools in the heart of West St. Paul that gave Heritage its name.
We’ll explore these various West St. Paul schools in a 7-part series as part of our member drive, so stay tuned for more.
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The Schools
It started with Sibley Junior High School in 1936 on the southwest corner of Bernard and Bidwell Streets, but by the 1950s a sprawling complex was added that became Sibley Senior High School. Then Frances M. Grass Junior High School was built to the west of the high school gym. Next, the high school moved to Mendota Heights and the new Henry Sibley High School on Delaware Avenue (in 2021 the school board renamed it Two Rivers High School). By the late 1990s, the school district opened two middle schools to replace Grass, Heritage to the east of Grass and Friendly Hills in Mendota Heights.
Timeline:
- 1936: Sibley Junior High School opens.
- 1941: Original junior high building expanded to the south.
- 1952: Sibley High School opens.
- 1960: Grass Junior High School opens.
- 1970: A pool building is added to the east end of the red gym.
- 1971: Henry Sibley High School in Mendota Heights opens.
- 1997: Heritage Middle School opens to the east of the gym.
- 1998: Grass and the rest of the old high school complex (except the gym and pool) are torn down.
What about Sibley Elementary?: These schools weren’t the first in the area. The original Sibley School was located half a block away on the south side of Bernard Street at Allen Avenue. Built in 1887, it served as an elementary school until 1940 when it was used only for kindergarten until it closed in 1962 and was demolished in 1964. A historical marker in Harmon Park commemorates its history.
Cost
- Sibley Junior High School: $128,315
- Sibley High School: $1.273 million
- Grass Junior High: $1.5 million
- Henry Sibley High School: $7.2 million
- Heritage Middle School: $12.3 million
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First grads: The first high school class from Sibley graduated in 1954. The first class from Henry Sibley High School graduated in 1972.
First principals:
- Sibley Junior High: Agnes Welton (Grades 5-6), Mr. Sonstegaard (Grades 7-9)
- Sibley Senior High: Joseph R. Monson
- Grass Junior High: Frances M. Grass.
- Henry Sibley: John Hagman
- Heritage: Anne Shearer-Shineman
Grades: Until the early- to mid-1980s, elementary included grades K-6, junior high grades 7-9, and high school grades 10-12. In the 1980s, they moved the freshman to high school and junior high became 7-8. It didn’t change to the current set up (K-4, 5-8, 9-12) until 1997 when the middle schools were built.
Overcrowding: Fluctuating enrollment forced School District 197 to get creative over the years.
- Sibley Junior High opened in 1936 and relieved overcrowding in the elementary schools by hosting grades 5-9.
- Sibley High School opened in 1952 with five elementary classes of 140 students attending alongside the high school students.
- It happened again in 1960, but they gave it a name: Grass Junior High hosted a group of elementary classes known as Central Elementary.
- In the early 1970s, overcrowding again forced a creative use of buildings as Grass students were pushed to Moreland for part of the day before Henry Sibley High School opened.
More to Come
Stay tuned for the next part in our seven-part series on the history of Sibley schools:
- Part 1: Overview
- Part 2: Sibley Junior High
- Part 3: Sibley High School
- Part 4: Grass Junior High School
- Part 5: Henry Sibley High School
- Part 6: Heritage Middle School
- Part 7: Demolition and What Remains
Researching West St. Paul history happens thanks to the generous support of our members. Learn more about our history coverage and consider supporting our work.