ST. LOUIS — Classes will be canceled Monday and Tuesday at Central Visual and Performing Arts and Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience high schools, one year after a shooting that killed a student and teacher.
“We remember and honor student Alexzandria Bell and teacher Jean Kuczka, who were taken from us too soon. Their presence is dearly missed, and our thoughts are forever with their families and loved ones,†said Keisha Scarlett, ºüÀêÊÓƵ Public Schools superintendent, in a letter to the community.
A shooter who graduated from Central High stormed the school on Oct. 24, 2022, killing sophomore Alexzandria, 15, and physical education teacher Kuczka, 61, and injuring several others. Police killed the shooter less than 20 minutes after he entered the school, which shares its campus with Collegiate High.
Grief counselors are available at the schools to help with lingering trauma and stress from the shooting, district leaders said.
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“In the face of adversity, our community has demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength. Together, we have taken steps towards healing since that fateful day. However, it remains crucial that we come together as a community to acknowledge the difficult emotions that persist within our hearts,†Scarlett wrote.
Original plans for the anniversary called for a “day of service†involving an assembly and multiple field trips in the community. More than three-quarters of teachers and staff at the two high schools opposed the plan in part because of a staffing shortage, according to Ashley Merideth, a special education teacher at Central High.
“They do not feel like they can care for their own mental health by attending work on Oct. 24 and participating in the field trip plan as is,†Merideth told the SLPS board of education at their Oct. 10 meeting. “With the lack of staff who are capable to support the plan presented, it is time to consider that the safest option for our school communities is to officially cancel school on this day.â€