The Valena C Jones School has served as the Center of the rich Educational, Cultural, Political, Social and Historical heritage for thousands of minority families. The Valena C Jones School has served families in Hancock County and Bay St Louis in particular. 

Valena Cecelia MacArthur Jones was born in Bay St Louis, MS in 1872. After graduating in 1892 from Straight College, a historically black college in New Orleans, LA she was named Principal of the then Bay St Louis Negro School in 1892. Later this school would be named in her honor. The school operated for 80 years from 1892 to the last graduating class of 1969. From 1969 to 1972 the school served as a primary school until its closing. 

The Valena C Jones School served as the primary institution for educating black students. The entire Bay St Louis/ Hancock County black community has benefitted enormously from The Valena C Jones School. She has stood throughout the years as a beacon of hope during the many dark and trying times when black students struggled to get a quality education. Illustrations of self-expression flourished through cultural applications like music, plays, songs, and poems. The teaching staff taught students and the Community how to prepare for the voting process in spite of Jim Crow laws and attempts to suppress the black vote. School administrators, teachers and staff taught social skills to prepare students for entry into society and the work place. Students were also taught about the rich historic heritage of Black Americans. 

Since it’s closing in 1972, the City of Bay St Louis has utilized The Valena C Jones School Building and surrounding property for Senior Citizen programs and activities, Police and Fire Department, and the Hancock Count Emergency Operations Center until 2009. The Building is currently housing the Hancock Chapter of the Boys & Girls Club. 

This petition is signed by: Alumni, Family and Friends;

FOR THE PRESERVATION AND DESIGNATION OF VALENA C JONES SCHOOL AND PROPERTY, AS A HISTORIC BUILDING AND SITE.

We, the undersigned, respectfully request that the Mayor, and City Council of Bay St Louis, MS as Property Owners of Valena C Jones School building and property, located at 310 Old Spanish Trail, officially support and endorse this petition.

We further request that the Mayor and City Council work cooperatively with community members to have the building and site designated as a historical site in compliance with the guidelines of the NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES IN COLLABORATION WITH THE MISSISSIPPI DEPARTMENT OF ARCHIVES AND HISTORY.

And after Designation is completed, properly identify the site with the Historic Plaque.