ST. LOUIS (March 15, 2023) – St. Louis Voices Academy of Media Arts is excited to announce it has secured a downtown site that it will transform into classrooms and learning space for its founding students this fall.

     On Wednesday, the school signed a three-year lease for 21,000 square feet of the Park Pacific Building, 1226 Olive Street, with the option to extend. The space will provide for 13 classrooms, a large commons area, a media studio, and administrative offices – allowing the school room to grow. Crews will customize the space. Renovation work will be completed in August, prior to the start of school.

     St. Louis Voices Academy will enroll up to 121 students in kindergarten through first grade and then grow to serve approximately 505 students in grades K-5.

     The school’s mission is to leverage media arts and storytelling to equip students to excel academically, author their own futures, and make meaningful contributions in their communities. St. Louis Voices Academy is governed by a community-based non-profit board and is led by Dr. Hollie Russell-West, the founder and executive director. Dr. Russell-West brings more than 20 years of experience in urban education in St. Louis. She started her career as a substitute teacher, then went on to serve as a special education teacher, a high school assistant principal, and an elementary school principal in St. Louis Public Schools.

     “As an educator and life-long St. Louisan, I’m looking forward to working with our families to open a school that will be responsive and rigorous for our children,” Dr. Russell-West said. “We will create a school with a culture of excellence. I’m committed to raising the bar for children in our city and the individuals who serve them.