Ritenour School District Announces New Ritenour Center for Educational Excellence
The Ritenour School District is proud to announce the official name of its newly acquired property at 10901 St. Henry Lane in St. Ann: the Ritenour Center for Educational Excellence. This facility will serve as a cornerstone for expanded educational programs and support services for the Ritenour community. See a list of frequently asked questions about the facility here.
The new Ritenour Center for Educational Excellence will be the new home to:
- The Ritenour International Welcome Center (IWC)
- The Center for Gifted Education
- Additional early childhood classrooms
The IWC is currently located in the north wing of Hoech Middle School; the Center for Gifted Education is located in several classrooms at Ritenour Middle School. The Ritenour Center for Educational Excellence allows the district to address growth in both of these programs plus an increased demand for additional preschool classrooms as indicated by ongoing waitlists at the School for Early Childhood Education.
The new campus will honor two influential educators in the history of the district:
- The Julie Hahn Center for International and Gifted Learners
- The Janine Milam-Haynes Early Childhood Annex
Julie Hahn, Ritenour’s assistant superintendent for data, intervention and student support, has dedicated 36 years to the district as a Ritenour and Special School District educator and administrator, during her distinguished 38-year educational career. Her visionary leadership led to the creation of the International Welcome Center, which opened in August 2015 as a single classroom at Hoech Middle School and currently serves approximately 120 students. During its first decade, the award-winning program has served hundreds of middle and high school students new to the United States by providing intensive and immersive English language, academic and wrap-around support so they can successfully transition to their assigned Ritenour school.
Janine Milam-Haynes devoted her entire 27-year career to Ritenour, teaching fifth grade at Marion Elementary in the same classroom. Her unwavering commitment to her students and colleagues inspired countless lives. She passed away in November 2023. Naming the early childhood annex in her honor celebrates her legacy of excellence and dedication to education.
These dedications mark a historic milestone as the first facilities in the Ritenour School District named after women and people of color. A committee of Ritenour staff members, administrators, and community members met three times in November and December of 2024 to choose the new building name.
“Ritenour is committed to serving the whole child and the entire community,” said Superintendent Dr. Chris Kilbride. “We are excited to honor the legacy of Ms. Hahn and Ms. Milam-Haynes on this new campus. This site allows us to meet the growing needs of our students and families, creating more opportunities for every learner to thrive.
“We also are thrilled to potentially eliminate the waiting list for our School for Early Childhood Education and provide our youngest learners with at least one year of free early childhood education before entering kindergarten,” added Kilbride.
Ritenour currently offers one year of no-cost early childhood education to 250 students. Because there are more students interested in the program than spots available, the district conducts a lottery each spring to select eligible students.
Ritenour anticipates that programs will begin transitioning to the new facility by the start of the 2025-2026 school year.
The district closed on the 3.92-acre site, formerly known as Holy Trinity Parish and School, in August 2024 for $1 million. The property features 30,000 square feet of space, including a main school building and an annex that provides five additional classrooms.