Riverview West Side School of Excellence in St. Paul will relocate to a new building next fall, St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Valeria Silva announced on Tuesday.
The move is part of the district's four-year Strong Schools, Strong Communities plan aimed at closing the achievement gap while saving the district money.
Silva sent a letter to parents announcing the move from 271 Belvidere St. E. on the West Side to the old Roosevelt Elementary School location at 160 Isabel St. E.
"This move is part of a large investment by [the district] on the West Side of St. Paul," Silva wrote. "Major renovations at the new site will provide Riverview with more classrooms, spaces designed just for subjects like science, and updated infrastructure that meets the district's 21st century technology goals."
The buildings are about a mile apart, and all staff and programs will transfer in the relocation. District spokeswoman Toya Stewart Downey said they also expect all students to transfer.
The move will give the school space to grow from more than 300 students to more than 500 and to expand the school's dual language immersion program and English-only instruction, Silva wrote.
"It's a bigger school," Stewart Downey said. "It'll be more state of the art."
The school will simply be known as Riverview, and the new location will also serve as "the heart" of the West Side, with community rooms and event space, Silva wrote.
