Community reacts after SLPS announces closure of 9 schools, changes to others

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Anchors of north St. Louis neighborhoods will be closing down at the end of the school year.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Public School Board voted to close nine of its schools, going from 61 to 52 schools.

This comes as the district fights declining enrollment trends and a lack of resources.

Some stakeholders were not pleased with the decision.

“Keep the ones they got, put some money into the schools,” said Judy Ross.

Judy Ross has grandchildren in St. Louis Public Schools, and she, along with her daughter Kayla Johnson, wants all the SLPS schools to stay open.

Johnson says it’s forcing her to evaluate her options.

“I’m stuck as a parent trying to figure out what moves do I make next. Do I jump ship now or do I stay and fight?” said Johnson.

On Tuesday, the SLPS board voted four to three to shutter nine schools at the end of the school year, eight elementary schools and one middle school.

One high school, Clyde C. Miller Academy, will eventually turn into a career and technical education center, with the high school being phased out by one grade per year.

Johnson, who has a sophomore and junior there, worries parents could begin pulling their kids.

“They say you know what, the enrollment is low, we didn’t get the kids we thought we’re going to come and then the school closes,” said Johnson.

SLPS has lost 59% of its students since 1991, and some school board members argued that the closures were due to declining enrollment.

“To achieve a financially sustainable school district, a well-resourced district we should be closing more buildings, but this is a start,” said Brian Marston, SLPS board member.

They also argued that closing schools will allow more resources to be poured into extracurriculars and the arts in the remaining schools.

“That their child would get access to a well-resourced school, we have to prove that that is possible,” said Dr. Robert Harvey, SLPS board member.

And while many were disappointed by Tuesday’s decision, a few were pleased by what did not get cut.

“I’m just so happy to see that the school gets to stay open,” said Edward Berg.

Freshman Edward Berg says he wants a proper graduation from McKinley in 2030 and now believes more students will enroll there because the board decided to keep the high school open.

“Now that that threat isn’t there I think there will be a lot more people attending the school and it’ll thrive once again,” said Berg.

And while some are happy McKinley stays open, like Gwendolyn Congshell, she is upset that six of the nine closures will occur in North City, an area hit hard by population loss and previous closures.

“When the schools closed we didn’t run out to North County we sustained this community and the city with our tax dollars but then we didn’t get any benefits from it,” said Congshell.