'More than a building': JCPS breaks ground on future home for W.E.B. DuBois Academy

Nearly six years after opening W.E.B. DuBois Academy, leaders from Jefferson County Public Schools broke ground Wednesday on what will be its permanent home.

The $62 million building will serve middle and high school boys who learn from an Afrocentric curriculum. The school is expected to open in August 2026 behind Thomas Jefferson Middle School in the Newburg neighborhood.

"This will be more than a building, it is a symbol of the district's commitment to racial equity," said Corrie Shull, chair of the JCPS board.

Currently, the school operates in two separate locations about 10 minutes apart — with the middle school on Indian Trail Road in the former Liberty High building and the high school along Atkinson Square Drive in a Sullivan University building.

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Having the school in one location will allow for an easier transition from middle to high and also allow older students to mentor their younger peers, said student Aiden Tolley. His freshman class will be the first to start in the new school.

The new school will "create brotherhoods and strengthen friendships," he said.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: JCPS breaks ground on future home for W.E.B. DuBois Academy