The McKinley schools, which are four schools serving students with disabilities in the South End, were renamed to Melvin H. King South End Academy in honor of Mel King, the legendary organizer and South End resident who recently passed away at the age of 94.

Boston's Mayor Wu promised renovation of the school to begin within the coming year and emphasized the importance of a democratic, community-led design process. The school's mission of integrating high-quality instruction and specialized therapeutic support for students in need will remain the same.

The McKinley schools have faced deferred maintenance and the threat of eviction, but Mel King spoke against the idea at the school committee, which helped save the school.