Thanks to Clover Montessori School for their support.
Heritage E-STEM Middle School in West St. Paul has roots that stretch back to the Depression era. It was preceded by schools that sat in the empty fields to the north and west of Heritage and give the school its name.
We’ll explore the history of West St. Paul schools in a 7-part series as part of our member drive, so stay tuned for more.
The Schools
What started with Sibley Junior High School in 1936 expanded to Sibley Senior High School in 1952 and Frances M. Grass Junior High School in 1960. By the late 1990s, much of that campus would be torn down and replaced with Heritage Middle School.
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Heritage Middle School
By the early 1990s, Grass Junior High was in bad shape. The fire marshal said it violated fire code and needed a $1.8 million sprinkler system, plus other expensive upgrades totaling an expected $15 million.
- “[Grass is] an architectural nightmare. It’s got narrow stairwells, leaky roofs, asbestos-wrapped pipes, old wiring, small rooms,” said Michael Kluznik, who had two children in high school, in a 1995 Star Tribune article.
- Other issues included vapor and chlorine gasses from the pool seeping through the building and causing odor, mold, and other problems, including warping the gym floor—in places by as much as a foot.
- Principal Ruthanne Strohn recalled a story about a student chastised for being antsy in class and told to sit still. The student responded: “But there’s water dripping on my head!”
“Our elementary schools are at capacity. We’ve got kids in portable classrooms, we’re tutoring in closets, we’re doing hearing tests in hallways.”
Jim Nikolai, school board chairman, in a 1995 Star Tribune article.
The solution (part1): The school district proposed a new middle school next to Henry Sibley High School. A $33.69 million plan would go to voters including the new middle school, a football field, renovations at the high school and elementary schools, and converting Grass to a civic center.
- The May 1993 vote failed 2,909 to 2,290.
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The solution (part 2): Next the district tried $33.65 million split across three separate votes in December 1993:
- $9.7 million to expand and upgrade the high school (passed 3,793 to 2,740).
- $19.95 million for a new middle school (failed 3,709 to 2,808).
- $4 million to upgrade technology (failed 3,266 to 3,255—11 votes!).
The solution (part 3):
- Wild ideas: In light of the failure, a number of ideas were proposed, including moving eighth graders to the high school and either putting seventh graders at Somerset or creating a middle school with sixth and seventh graders at Garlough or Moreland.
- Task force: After the failed votes, a 110-member, district-wide task force studied the issue, gathered input, and came up with the two school approach, endorsing it almost unanimously.
- The vote: The March 1995 vote passed by 143 votes (4,289 to 4,145).
- Repeats: West St. Paul had a similar issue 70 years earlier when it took six votes before a plan was approved during the 1920s to build Dodd School.
The plan: The new plan called for two middle schools, one to be build next to Grass Junior High (Heritage) and the other in Mendota Heights (Friendly Hills)
- Design: Heritage and Friendly Hills were designed as identical twins as a cost-saving measure and to avoid any cross-town rivalries.
- Concept: To address crowding elementary schools, the middle schools were designed to house fifth through eighth grade, even though middle schools traditionally start with sixth grade. They were also designed with a house concept.
- Capacity: Each building could hold 800 students. When they opened, Friendly Hills would have 730 students and Heritage about 750.
- Opening: While Friendly Hills was ready on time, “unexpected soil conditions” slowed work at Heritage and meant it wasn’t ready for the first day of school. On Nov. 4, 1997, a day dubbed “Spirit Day,” Grass closed its doors for the last time. Students picked up their belongings and moved to Heritage.
Students moving from Grass to Heritage in 1997 (Photo credit: Dakota County Historical Society).
“It’s a little silly, and my husband and kids think I’m crazy, but I wanted it.”
Jane DeLambert, who bought the room number of her fourth grade classroom in the rummage sale before the school closed. DeLambert attended Grass as a student and served as PTA president of Grass when it closed. (Dakota County Tribune)
Dedication
- A dedication event for Heritage on Nov. 22, 1997 drew 1,400 people. Frances M. Grass was remembered with the gym and pool named the “Frances M. Grass Activity Center” in her honor. Ingrid Peterson, a Spanish teacher at Grass for 28 years, described the honor as ironic in a 1997 Southwest Review article, noting that Grass “didn’t care for sports at all and was much more interested in academics.”
- “The citizens of this area have constantly built, added, changed, and adjusted to educational needs. This is our heritage! Those who have gone before us even for several generations have aimed to provide the best education for all. This is our HERITAGE—hold it carefully and proudly.” -Pearl Vitelli, local resident and former ISD 197 teacher in an article about the district’s history
- “We believe that her legacy is a fine component of our heritage—a commitment to learning and to community values. The District wishes to commemorate her service and commitment by retaining her name for the portion of the complex that has been retained and renovated for the students—and community members—of today and tomorrow.” -Gary M. Hagstrom, Chair of the ISD 197 School Board, at the dedication
The district installed a plaque honoring Frances Grass in Heritage. It was removed during the recent renovations and hasn’t yet been restored.
“I have a lot of affection for the school, not so much for the building, but for the spirit. Good things have been happening at Grass, and I know that will carry over.”
Director of Middle Grades Education Kathryn Bode in a Dakota County Tribune article when the school closed
Magnet: Heritage Middle School became Heritage E-STEM Middle School in 2011 thanks to a $7.1 million federal grant the district received that transformed Heritage, Moreland, and Pilot Knob into magnet schools.
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
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