St. Paul Hmong language schools to get new name

Two St. Paul schools dedicated to the teaching of Hmong language and culture will be two campuses under one new name — and it's in Hmong.

Txuj Ci HMong Language and Culture was the name selected this month by staff and students at Phalen Lake Hmong Studies Magnet, an elementary school, and Hmong Language and Culture Middle School, both on the city's East Side.

The use of two capital letters in "HMong" is a nod to the two dialects spoken by the Hmong people, Phalen Lake Principal May Lee Xiong told school board members Tuesday.

Txuj Ci, pronounced "tzue djee," refers to the "cultural knowledge of a people," including language, culture and the arts, and when attained, allows the recipient to be "a shining light for others as well," according to the board presentation.

The name was one of two finalists submitted to students and staff members before spring break as part of a process inspired by the Envision SPPS district redesign in 2021. At that time, the school board decided to close several schools — one of which, Parkway Middle School, was replaced by the new Hmong middle school last fall.

Several other schools across the district were subject to mergers, too, and the various communities involved were invited to come up with new names.

On Tuesday, the board approved renaming Riverview West Side Community School of Excellence after students in its community program shifted to nearby Cherokee Heights Elementary. The new name is Riverview Spanish/English Dual Immersion Program.

A board vote on Txuj Ci is expected in June.