St. Louis Board of Education approves plan for facility
changes, program enhancements, and building closures
Changes to take effect at the start of the 2007-2008 school
year
St. Louis – The St. Louis Board of Education approved
the facility recommendations submitted by Dr. Diana Bourisaw,
superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools. The Board action
gives the green light to Bourisaw to proceed with new education
initiatives and school configurations for the 2007-2008 school
year, such as:
• Bunche International Studies Middle School students
will be relocated to the current Madison Alternative School
site at 1118 S. 7th St.
• Three new alternative programs for chronically disruptive
students, K-12, will be introduced at the elementary, middle,
and high school levels, at buildings yet to be determined.
• 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 Ashland Elementary Annex will be closed. Preschool
and kindergarten students will move to the main Ashland facility.
“These new plans address the concerns voiced by our parents, students
and community members,” Bourisaw said. “By improving our overall
facility usage, we’ll have the opportunity to enhance
our academic offerings while keeping our students in environments
conducive to learning.”
The district held several community forums during March and
April. Bourisaw took public comments into consideration before
submitting her final recommendation to the board.
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.
Other facility changes slated to go into effect include:
• 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
• Reconfiguring Cleveland @ Pruitt Naval Junior ROTC to accommodate
grades7 though 12
• Closing Euclid Montessori Elementary, Lafayette, Webster Middle,
Ashland Elementary Annex, and Turner Branch
• 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.
Editor ’s
note: The detailed plan for facility changes is attached.
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