SLPS announces revised proposal for facility changes, program enhancements, and building closures
Two public forums scheduled next week

New education initiatives and school configurations highlight the changes included in the plan, such as:

Bunche International Studies Middle School students will be relocated to the current Madison Alternative School site at 1118 S. 7th St. There will be no reconfiguration of either Dewey International Studies Elementary or Soldan International Studies High, as was previously recommended.

Three new alternative programs for chronically disruptive students, K-12, will be introduced in three buildings – Ford Elementary Annex, Turner Middle, and Des Peres High School.

The expansion of McKinley Classical Junior Academy will add the 9th grade for the upcoming school year. At the end of the 2007/2008 school year, district officials would examine the success of adding grades to the popular gifted magnet program.

Students from the Lafayette 9th Grade Center will be relocated to the Humboldt facility. The Lafayette building would then be closed.

The Ashland Elementary Annex will be closed. Preschool and kindergarten students would move to the main Ashland facility.

“We carefully examined the comments made by community members. While most parents realize the need to reduce the number of facilities, they raised legitimate concerns about combining middle- and high-school students in one building,” said Bourisaw. “These new plans address those concerns while also improving our overall facility usage.”

Central to the reorganization plans for next school year is the need to increase the number of alternative education programs throughout the district. Each program would serve up to 150 students. The students would benefit from new curriculum and research-based instructional models specifically targeted to the needs of these students. Discussions are currently underway with the Big Picture Company (www.bigpicture.org), an organization that specializes in developing individualized instruction for students.

“We know there is a desperate need for alternative programs in St. Louis,” Bourisaw said. “However, we must go beyond just housing students in alternative classrooms. We must truly offer curriculum and instruction that encourages the students to achieve both academically and socially.”

Several of the preliminary recommendations also will be presented to the St. Louis Board of Education, including:

· Reopening Meda P. Washington as an early childhood center

· Increasing the capacity of Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, which would also house a newcomer center for non-English speaking residents

· Reopening Carver School to enhance the educational offerings of Clyde C. Miller Career Academy

· Converting Kottmeyer Elementary into a site that houses offices for central registration, food services, and other student support/social services

· Reconfiguring Cleveland @ Pruitt Naval Junior ROTC to accommodate grades 7 though 12

· Closing Euclid Montessori Elementary

· Closing Webster Middle School

· Altering the grade configurations at some schools

The plan calls for a total of five facilities to be closed. In addition, the District anticipates placing 11 properties on the market for sale during the next school year.

Two community forums have been scheduled to address concerns before the plan is presented to the Board of Education.

Wednesday, April 11 – 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Carr Lane VPA – Auditorium - 1004 N. Jefferson Ave.

Thursday, April 12 – 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Roosevelt High School - 3230 Hartford St.

Public comments on the final recommendations may be submitted online at www.slps.org, or by writing to: Operations Division, St. Louis Public Schools, 801 N. 11th St., St. Louis, MO 63101.

Editor’s Note: The full plan detailing final recommendations is attached.