Saint Louis
CitySide
St. Louis Front Page presents St. Louis CitySide, an overview of the City Government of Saint Louis. From time to time, we will take an indepth look at many of the projects in which the city is involved and how these projects will affect residents and visitors.
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'The Game of Their Lives' to Be Filmed in St. Louis
Mayor Slay Marks Mid-Term in Office
If the Cardinals Leave Downtown St. Louis, It's Lights Out for St. Louis
Public Hearing on Proposed Mississippi River Crossing
Missouri Governor Holden Signs Bill Which Changes Property Tax Policy
Loss of Cardinals Baseball Would Create Large Hole in St. Louis Economy, Says Mayor Slay
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Protesters display a banner opposing the plan by the new members of the School Board, dubbed "Slay's Raiders", to close 16 schools.
Yes Vote by St. Louis School Board Meets a Strong No by Parents and Teachers
Audience members wave banners protesting School Board decision to close schools.
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Jean Neil expressed her concerns about the learning process for the children in larger classrooms.
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"I am of the opinion that you don't give a damn," stated Phillip Berry, v.p. of the Father's Forum.
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Jane Sykes, a teacher for 23 years at Wyman Elementary, asked the School Board how moving children from one building to another is going to raise test scores.
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State Representative Yapette El-Aim, 57th District asked what will happen to those new home owners that moved back to north St. Louis in order to have their children educated in north St. Louis, but there will be no schools.
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Alderman Jeffrey Boyd, 22nd Ward, and a parent, asked how the School Board came up with the $1.1 million in savings for closing Hempstead School.
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Toni Masters questioned spending so much money on building a new stadium, yet closing the schools.
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"As a former educator, I put parent participation as number one to get your kids educated," stated Earlyne McCalister Thomas.
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by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, MO, (SLFP.com), July 16, 2003 - The St. Louis School Board voted 7 - 5 on a plan to close 16 schools at a special meeting, July 15, in the auditorium at Harris-Stowe State College.
The plan, drafted by Alvarez & Marsal, a new management team hired by the board to run the school system, was met with strong protests by over 500 parents, teachers, residents and city and state officials.
The closures are expected to save about $15 million a year, according to a draft of the School Consolidation Plan handed out at the meeting. The plan cites declining enrollment of 65% since 1967, physical condition and age of the buildings, poor level of academic achievement and a financial crisis of an estimated $90 million.
The schools include Walnut Park, Scullin, Lowell, Hempstead, Cook, Des Peres, Emerson, King Tri-A, Cupples, Marshall, Williams, Carver, Jackson, Waring, Roe and Garfield. All but four of the schools are north of Delmar. The closings will affect more than 3,000 students, their families and teachers.
A planned powerpoint presentation by the management team to explain the criteria of the consolidation was brought to an abrupt halt by protesters who were in opposition of the closures. The slide presentation was eventually turned off.
School board members and the management team ascended the stage and began talking among themselves behind the screen used for the presentation. There were immediate outbursts from the audience to 'lift the screen' and 'let us see what you are doing.' The screen was lifted and new School Board member and former Mayor Vince C. Schoemehl, Jr. made a motion to remove public comment from the agenda. His motion led to even louder outcries and banner-waving. School board member Bill Haas strongly questioned the validity of the motion.
Schoemehl rescended his motion and called for statements from participants who had signed up to speak at the meeting.
Phillip Berry, v.p. of the Father's Forum, noted that both he and his children attend St. Louis public schools. Addressing the panel, Barry stated, "I am of the opinion that you don't give a damn. Your mind is already made up. These people here pay taxes and they have kids. It's not your money that you are spending. It's our money. The opposition will not stop," stated Barry as the audience clapped loudly.
Wearing a "Stop the Slay Raiders" T-shirt, Jane Sykes, a teacher and parent, expressed her concerns regarding the closures. Following her statement to the School Board, she told Saint Louis Front Page that "I take offense as a parent and a teacher to the people reading to us at this meeting (slide presentation). I have attended two meetings prior to this one. Last week was a three-ring circus. They were the clowns because nothing was given to us. We never walked away with any information except handouts. This room is full of educators and they have no respect for us."
As a teacher, I would like to know how they can come to a conclusion that closing buildings and moving children from one building to another is going to raise test scores." Sykes noted that she has educated many children who are college bound. "It's because of me. They're closing the buildings and telling the children that their education doesn't really mean anything."
Sykes proudly stated that she has several kids of her own in college. "I have a kid in medical school and one on the way to Harvard. She has been recognized by the National Honor Society for four years. She is an excellent student. This board is closing the schools and saying that the kids don't matter."
Earlyne McCalister Thomas expressed her concerns to Saint Louis Front Page. "I don't doubt there are some changes that need to be made. "But, I don't see how anyone can come in such a short period of time that these people have been here and make these types of drastic moves. There probably are some schools that need to be closed. But you hear people from the individual neighborhoods saying that if you use that as a criteria, 'what about the fact that this school has 80 percent parent participation?'"
"As a former educator, I put parent participation as number one to get your kids educated," Thomas stated. "They are talking about closing Scullin School which has eighty percent parent participation."
Thomas noted that she has lived in the city all her life and has a house that is one hundred and seven years old. "I don't get help as a new home owner, but I stick and stay. I think they make a point. What about the people who stay where they are and renovated what they have. You don't just want to count new homes as a criteria. So, some of these criteria make no sense."
"They talk about the first school, Adams," stated Thomas. "There, utilities and costs came to $72,000. They said there's another $22,000 maybe in anticipated renovations. That's $92,000. Yet they say they are going to save $1.3 million dollars. How can they do that?" asked Thomas. "Most of the money in any school and in any business is salary. If the teachers are going to move with the students, these numbers are bogus," stated Thomas.
Dorris J. Walker-McGahee, president of the Parent Assembly of the St. Louis Public Schools, organized the parent protest at the meeting. In an interview, she stated that she was one of eight parents who have filed suit against the St. Louis Public Schools.
"The suit is not about the St. Louis Public Schools academic wise," stated Walker-McGahee. "They do need help. Everybody seems to forget Mayor Slay ordered the Stadium built. He made deals with the Cardinals to get that tax money, the sales money. The sales money was going toward the public schools. Last year, the state decided it wanted to cut funding to the public schools. Before Dr. Hammond left, he said that we were $55 million deficit. I don't know where they come up with this $90 million deficit."
When questioned about the use of the sales tax, Walker-McGahee maintained that the sales tax is still not going to be distributed to the public schools.
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