Vol. 41, No. 1
January 10 , 2007
CONTACT: JIM MORRIS |
Statement Regarding St. Louis Public Schools and
Tomorrow’s State Board of Education Meeting
Missouri Commissioner of Education D. Kent King said today that the State Board of Education will have “a thorough discussion” of the recommendations made by a special advisory committee about changing the governance of the St. Louis Public Schools, but he does not expect the board to take immediate action on any specific proposal.
The State Board of Education meets tomorrow in Jefferson City and is slated to discuss the status of the St. Louis Public Schools, which has been wracked by internal disputes since last summer.
A blue-ribbon committee appointed by the Commissioner of Education last July has recommended that the State Board of Education impose a “transitional school district” in St. Louis, a process which would replace the current board of education with a three-person governing panel. This process is authorized in state law and applies only to the St. Louis Public Schools.
“It is essential for the State Board of Education to thoroughly understand the recommendations made by the special advisory committee and for us to be able to explore all of the ramifications of state intervention in the operations of the St. Louis Public Schools. Ultimately, state intervention may be the best course of action, but the board and I will not rush into that decision,” King said.