‘Hidden River’ beats out Philando Castile as new name for St. Paul middle school

Josh Verges, Pioneer Press
·2 min read
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Ramsey Middle School students have chosen “Hidden River” as the new name for their school, pending former approval next month by the St. Paul school board.

The new name, which refers to an aquifer beneath the school, was the clear winner in a student vote.

“Technically, it’s an aquifer, but Hidden River kind of fits,” eighth-grader Amira Ayral told the school board Tuesday.

The other finalist names for the school in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood were, most votes to fewest:

  • Philando Castile, who attended Ramsey as a student and was working in food service for the district when he was shot and killed by a police officer during a 2016 traffic stop;

  • Summit, which holds double meaning as the avenue adjacent the school and a noun that evokes high achievement;

  • Grand Summit, which nods to both of the school’s nearby avenues;

  • Hanwi, who is the moon goddess in Dakota mythology.

The idea of changing the school’s name has circulated for years, but the latest push began with the student council in January 2020. Students don’t want to keep honoring Alexander Ramsey, Minnesota’s first territorial governor, because of his views and treatment of American Indians.

Chauntyll Allen, a school board member who used to work at Ramsey, said the school name seemed to have had a negative impact on students.

“We do need our schools to represent real heroes,” she said. “I’m hoping that with the change of this name, our students can carry the new name proud.”

Minneapolis Public Schools in 2017 renamed its Ramsey Middle School to honor Alan Page, the retired associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court and former Minnesota Viking.

There still are elementary schools named for Alexander Ramsey in the Anoka-Hennepin and Montevideo school districts.

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