TROY, Ala. (WSFA) – One historic Troy high school is opening its doors once again after more than 50 years, but this time, in a different capacity.
After sitting dormant for decades, Academy Street High School has officially reopened, but not to new students and teachers.
Scores of alumni traveled to see their beloved alma mater welcome them once again.
“They did a good job, a real good job,” former student David Curtis said.
“We were just waiting for this to happen,” Jessie Youngblood, another former student, said.
The school served as Troy’s school for African American students during the segregation era. It was closed in 1970 when Charles Henderson High School was integrated. However, former students say Charles Henderson didn’t feel the same.
“We’re still hurting,” Youngblood said. “We couldn’t believe it, because when we went to Charles Henderson High School, that was back in the time of discrimination; we weren’t accepted.”
Academy Street alumni told WSFA that, in the past, this school was a haven for its students. Now, the city hopes it can be a safe space for the community.
“We wanted to bring that enrichment back here now today, to give back to the community, to enlighten and let children know, let everybody know that this is a place that’s welcoming to all, ”Troy District 5 City Councilwoman Wanda Howard Moultry said.
Moultry remembers visiting the school as a young girl and has worked hard to bring the spirit of Academy Street High School into the Troy of today.
“We all came here, and it was a place of safe haven,” she said. “We enjoyed festivities and the community made sure that we were taken care of, and so we wanted to bring that enrichment back here, now, today.”
Celebrating the rebirth of a historic school, now serving its community in a new way.
The City of Troy is working on the specifics of how the school will serve as a resource for the community.
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