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Superintendent recommends closing fewer schools
Plans could save $15 million
Superintendent Kelvin Adams offered a proposal Thursday to close 12 fewer city schools than consultants previously recommended.
Adams gave the Special Administrative Board of the St. Louis Public Schools a report that suggested the district could close 17 schools and save $15 million, minus $1.19 million in decommissioning costs.
Under the staff proposal, the district would close Ashland Branch, Baden Elementary, Clark eMints Elementary, Des Peres Elementary, Mark Twain Elementary, Meda P. Washington Early Childhood Center, Scruggs Elementary, Shepard Elementary, Simmons-Marshall Elementary, Blewett Middle School, Stowe Middle School, Turner Middle School, Roosevelt Ninth Grade Center and Kottmeyer High School in June 2009.
It would close Cote Brilliante Elementary, Mann Elementary and Sherman Elementary in June 2011 after one new North Side and one new South Side school open. Adams said the district will seek funds to set aside for building schools under the desegregation settlement or the federal stimulus package.
Stowe is the only school proposed to close by Adams that was not proposed for closure by consultants MGT of America. MGT had recommended closing 29 schools, including Langston Middle School, which Adams proposed to keep open while closing Stowe.
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Other schools Adams proposed to keep open are Gallaudet, Patrick Henry Elementary, Mallinckrodt Elementary, Ames Elementary, Shaw Elementary, Shenandoah Elementary, Hickey Elementary, Bunche Middle School, L’Ouverture Middle School, McKinley Middle/High School, Stevens Middle School, Gateway Institute of Technology, Nottingham, Cleveland at Pruitt High School and Northwest High School.
For many of these schools, Adams said recruitment efforts need to be made to increase their enrollment, while others would have their programs modified. Also, while Des Peres, Turner and Kottmeyer would close, the Big Picture programs at these schools would be evaluated.
Big Picture programs are alternative programs to keep students in school.
He plans to make more facilities recommendations in April. That could include options to close more schools.
David Jackson, a member of the elected school board who had opposed the MGT plan, said Adam’s plan was “doable,” what the community wanted and something he could support. The elected board has no vote in the matter.
The SAB will seek more details from Adams on the proposal and vote on March 12, said Rick Sullivan, chairman of the SAB.
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