The site upon which Webster Elementary Magnet is located, 707 Holly Avenue, was acquired by the school district in 1923. In 1924, Marshall Junior High School, named for former state governor William R. Marshall, was constructed on the west side of the site. In 1926, Webster Elementary School, named for Daniel Webster, noted American statesman and orator, was built. In 1975, an addition was constructed to connect the two buildings and the complex renamed the Webster Magnet School.
The magnet school opened in 1976 as the first magnet school west of the Mississippi River. At that time, the student body was primarily African American children. The goal of the magnet school program was to desegregate schools on a voluntary basis. Children of diverse backgrounds were bused city-wide to participate in Webster's attractive new enrichment program. Students were given the opportunity to explore their many talents in a variety of courses and to excel in basic skills. Many children participated in above-grade-level programs for gifted students.
Webster Elementary is a social microcosm, and its diversity, in every sense of the word, is its strength: enrichment variety, ethnicity, student academic levels, and socio-economics. By providing its students with the opportunity to respectfully learn and work together, Webster is most definitely "a school community educating and enriching all children to live in an ever-changing world."
From the guide to the School records., circa 1900-1994., (Minnesota Historical Society)
