From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent
State Board of Education Meeting
The State Board of Education released their agenda for their
next regular board meeting scheduled this Thursday, Feb. 15.
As expected, one of the items for consideration is the reestablishment
of the transitional school district in St. Louis.
While there will be a lot of media and political attention
paid to the final decision of the State Board, we cannot be
distracted from our focus on our 33,000 students. Please continue
to display your professionalism and dedication regardless of
the final decision on the governance of the St. Louis Public
Schools.
The State Board will be meeting at the Capitol Plaza Hotel,
Lincoln Room, at 415 W. McCarty St. in Jefferson City. The
meeting begins at 9:00 a.m.
Board meeting at Carr Lane VPA
The regularly scheduled Board meeting will be held tomorrow
night, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Carr Lane VPA.
School & Home
The Winter/Spring 2007 issue of School & Home has been
mailed to the families of all SLPS students. We are excited
about this particular issue because it highlights the many
accomplishments of our students, staff, and administration.
An electronic version of the Winter/Spring 2007 issue is available
online at http://www.slps.org/newsletter/index.htm.
Class of 2010 Scholarship Program
Last week we announced a new scholarship program aimed at
sending all current 9th graders to college. The goal is to
raise $20 million in scholarships for all eligible students
currently enrolled in the Class of 2010.
The district has already secured 125 scholarships from a major
four-year university and 400 scholarships from a technical
college. Additional details regarding those participating colleges
and universities will be announced soon. SLPS is also working
closely with the St. Louis Public Schools Foundation and Forest
Park Community College in seeking donations and scholarships
for additional students.
To be eligible for the program, currently enrolled 9th graders
and their parent(s) or guardian must sign an agreement that
the student will:
· Attend a St. Louis Public Schools high school
for three consecutive years immediately prior to graduation;
· Maintain a cumulative grade point average
of 2.5 or above on a 4.0 grading scale;
· Demonstrate an attendance record of 92% or
greater;
· Perform 50 hours of unpaid tutoring of younger
students or other community service in conjunction with the
Office of Community Education;
· Maintain a record of good citizenship and
avoidance of unlawful use of alcohol and drugs;
· Have an ACT score on record with the high
school counseling office; and,
· Make a good faith effort to first secure
all available federal post-secondary student financial assistance
funds that do not require repayment, and evidence of completion
of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior
to May 1st of the graduating year.
“We have an obligation and a responsibility to be investing
in our students and our schools. We must make sure that people
who have the grades, the desire and the will, but not the money,
can still get the best education possible.” – Barack
Obama, U.S. Senator
| 