Innovation High School holds final commencement as 41 seniors graduate

At Innovation High School’s commencement for the class of 2025, Ferguson-Florissant R-II officials, school leaders and families gathered to celebrate 41 graduating seniors and to mark what administrators called the school’s final graduating class. Co-acting Superintendent Brent Mitchell declared the students graduates and noted scholarship and credit totals while principals, board leaders and students reflected on the school’s impact.

The ceremony underscored why the event mattered to the community. Innovation opened in 2019 as an alternative Big Picture–style program for students in the Ferguson-Florissant R-II district; school leaders said this is the last graduating class and urged graduates to carry the program’s emphasis on relationships and real-world learning forward.

Brent Mitchell, co-acting superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant R-II School District, told the crowd that 41 students graduated and that members of the class had earned “over $125,000 worth of scholarships.” Mitchell also said, “41 is the magic number,” and described seniors as having persevered through challenges, adding “Even if they close your school.”

Dr. Benjamin Ai, principal of Innovation High School, framed the moment as both an ending and a beginning for students. “Though our building may be closing, what Innovation High School stands for, creativity, voice, and commitment to doing things differently lives on in you. You are the legacy. You are the future,” Dr. Ai said.

Board of Education President Donna Paulette Thurman — representing the Ferguson-Florissant R-II Board of Education — addressed graduates and their families, urging students to value the support networks in the audience. “Your biggest fans want to see you accomplish your goals,” Thurman said, asking graduates to spend time with family and honor those who supported them.

Student awards and academic details were presented during the ceremony. School leaders said members of the senior class earned dual-credit college coursework through Saint Louis Community College; several students were listed as having earned up to 29 credit hours. The district named Olivia (identified in the program as valedictorian) and Jaden Harris (salutatorian). The Gloria Missouri Justice Award was presented to Mackenzie Mitchell. School lists of students receiving college credit and credit-hour ranges were read aloud by school staff.

Performances and student remarks were a significant portion of the program. A student performer who has participated in Red Tail Cadets was noted as the second female pilot produced by Innovation, with two other students named in connection to the Red Tail program.

School leaders and the valedictorian emphasized teachers and advisers. Valedictorian Olivia thanked staff and said teachers “made us feel heard,” and Dr. Ai and other staff thanked advisers, counselors and district specialists for connecting students to internships and college- and career-readiness supports.

Administrators performed the formal step that completes the ceremony: by the authority vested in him as co-acting superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant R-II School District, Brent Mitchell declared the students high school graduates; graduates then moved their tassels from right to left. The program closed with acknowledgments of honors, awards and a final round of applause for the class of 2025.

The ceremony combined celebration of individual achievements — scholarship dollars, college credits and student awards — with repeated references to Innovation High School’s distinctive program model and a note from school leaders that the physical building is closing even as alumni are urged to carry the school’s mission forward.