CSD Legislative Action Center

From the Desk of…
Diana Bourisaw, Superintendent

Preliminary Facility Recommendations

The next few months will not be easy for any of us. We must work together as a community to begin solving one of the biggest financial hurdles faced by the St. Louis Public Schools – the underutilization of our school facilities.

We simply do not have enough students to continue operating 93 schools. The District could currently house about 43,000 students in the facilities we have open. Unfortunately we only have 33,000 students.

I want to assure each of you that the declining enrollment in the St. Louis Public Schools is not as dramatic as the declining population of the city of St. Louis. Much like other urban areas across the nation, St. Louis has seen its population move to surrounding suburban regions. This is not a political issue. It is simply a reality.

The declining enrollment in our schools for the past few years is directly attributable to the increase in the number of charter schools now open in the city, and the ability of students to transfer into county schools through the Desegregation Settlement Agreement. Currently, over 5,000 of our city’s students attend charter schools and another 8,000 attend county schools everyday.

This week, we outlined for our school board’s ad hoc facilities committee some preliminary recommendations aimed at better utilizing our buildings. I have provided these recommendations below.

These preliminary recommendations required us to weigh several factors, including academics, facility age, structural issues facing the buildings, capacity of each school, and the residence pattern of students attending those schools.

In the coming weeks we will be holding a series of public forums on our proposals. We have also established an online public comment form at www.slps.org where concerned citizens can provide their feedback. I encourage you to make your voice heard.

Thank You

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Hearts for Hunger canned food drive organized by the Office of Community Education. Through our combined efforts, more than 140,000 cans of food were collected on behalf of local food pantries.

ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRELIMINARY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR 2007/2008 SCHOOL YEAR

NEW PROGRAMS AND SERVICES

Meda P. Washington, 2030 S. Vandeventer Ave.

Meda P. Washington had been a high school for expectant teens until December 2006. Under this proposal, the school would:

• Offer early childhood education for children from birth to age five for both regular and special education.
• Combine the Parents-as-Teachers (PATs) programs currently located outside of Gateway Institute of Technology and the PATs center located at the Euclid branch on Ridge.
• House the Even Start Program currently located at the Euclid branch on Ridge.

There is currently no site within the District where these programs are integrated into a single location.

Kottmeyer Elementary, 1530 S. Grand

Students currently attending Kottmeyer Elementary will be offered seats to attend either Wilkinson or Stix. The facility would continue to remain open, but would be used as a central registration office, food services office, and offer student support/social services.

EXPANDED PROGRAMS

McKinley Gifted School, 2156 Russell Blvd.

McKinley Classical Junior Academy would be expanded to include gifted students in grades 6 through 10 for the 2007/2008 school year. In the 2008/2009 school year, the school would again be expanded to be inclusive of gifted students in grades 6 through 12. Under this configuration, McKinley would become a combined middle and high school. Admission would be limited to 75 students for each incoming class.

Cleveland @ Pruitt, 1212 N. 22nd St.

Cleveland Naval Junior ROTC, currently housed at the Pruitt campus, would be reconfigured to accommodate grades 7 through 12 (currently only grades 9 through 12). The school would retain its focus as a Naval Junior ROTC program. Incoming 7th and 8th grade classes would be limited to 50 students per class.

Soldan International Studies High School, 918 N. Union Blvd.

Soldan International Studies would be reconfigured for grades 7 through 12 (currently 9 through 12). The international studies focus of the popular magnet school would be expanded. Class sizes for future incoming 7th and 8th grades would be limited to 50 students per class.

Central Visual and Performing Arts, 3125 S. Kingshighway

This recommendation would increase the current capacity of Central Visual and Performing Arts, a popular magnet program, as students from the adjoining Bunche International Studies would be relocated to either Soldan International Studies (grades 7 through 9), or Dewey International Studies Elementary (grade 6).

Additional space would be provided within Central VPA to expand the District’s English as a Second Language (ESOL) program. In addition to housing the program, the school would serve as a newcomer center for registering, and offering services to non-English speaking residents.

Clyde C. Miller Career Academy High School, 1000 N. Grand

The currently closed Carver School, which is adjacent to Clyde C. Miller, would be reopened to provide additional career education offerings in cosmetology, child care, medical assistance, and medical coding and billing. The additional building would provide a full service facility with academic support courses.

RELOCATED PROGRAMS

Bunche International Studies Middle School students would be relocated to either Soldan International Studies High School (grades 7 through 8), or Dewey International Studies Elementary (grade 6).

Madison Alternative would be relocated to the Des Peres facility.

CLOSED BUILDINGS

Euclid Montessori Elementary School, 1131 N. Euclid Ave.

The District’s only Montessori program will continue to be a highlight of our system. However, the students in the program will be relocated to the Washington Montessori building located at 1130 N. Euclid Ave. The current Euclid building would be closed.

Humboldt Middle School, 2516 S. 9th St.

The current Humboldt Middle School would close under the current proposal. Students at that school would be moved to L’Ouverture Middle School, 3021 Hickory St.

Webster Middle School, 2127 N. 11th St.

Students currently attending Webster Middle would be reenrolled into the nearest neighborhood school.

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONFIGURATIONS (PS = Preschool)

MIDDLE SCHOOL CONFIGURATIONS

HIGH SCHOOL CONFIGURATIONS