The St. Louis school desegregation program is winding down, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on June 10. The program has allowed more than 60,000 black students in St. Louis to attend suburban schools since the 1980s.
If the plan is approved, beginning in fall 2019 the only students that would be admitted would be those with siblings already enrolled.
A Brentwood resident emailed 40 South News, concerned how this might affect Brentwood schools: “A loss of the deseg students could have a large impact on Brentwood, which in the point of view of many already has an issue with such a low population of students.” Sixty-two graduated from the high school this year.
Maplewood Richmond Heights doesn’t participate in the program.
Brentwood Superintendent David Faulkner sent the following statement to 40 South News when asked how this will affect the district.
Although the article is recent, we have known about the eventual end of the program for several years, and we have included that in our long-term planning.
The winding down will be slow and planned. Under the agreement, no new students may enroll after the fall of 2018, but all students who are in the program at that time may continue until they graduate, which means that our last participants will graduate in 2031. Currently, Brentwood has 99 students who participate by transferring from the city; two Brentwood residents attend SLPS Magnet schools through the program. The district receives approximately $7,000 per student, all of which supports the operating budget.
For the last thirteen years, Brentwood has only enrolled new voluntary transfer students at the kindergarten level, and we adjust our number of spaces to remain within our class size goals. In 2019, we will see the first year with no new kindergarten students from VICC (Voluntary Interdistrict Choice Corporation). We will be able to adjust our budgets as necessary to accommodate for the transition from the program.
What is the cost of educating a student at Brentwood? Does $7,000 cover that? I would think an article covering this topic would provide those numbers.
I imagine the district loses money on every deseg student that is enrolled. That is not fair to Brentwood taxpayers.
I like it the way it is. Let it ride…
Brentwood has a truly outstanding district. One of the best in Missouri… But that doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. Parents must choose the right schools for their children. And they have every right to choose a private or parochial education.
As the mom of 2 graduates of BHS – both of whom earned full-tuition academic scholarships I can attest to the quality at brentwood. There is absolutely NO need to consolidate with MRH or any other district. The current size allows for individual attention and a fosters true community of scholars with outstanding character.
Thank you for this comment. It is very accurate.
68 Grads? Why don’t Brentwood and MRH consolidate, giving students in these three similarly sized communities more school choice?
Maybe some of the people who tear down old Brentwood homes and replace them with McMansions will stop sending their kids to private schools and FINALLY send them to their public school district in which they reside.
Should parents send their children to Brentwood schools simply because they reside in Brentwood? Or should they send their children (frequently at a sacrifice) to the schools they think are best for their kids? Are Brentwood Schools a “one size fits all” solution for everyone?
The residents who choose to not use Brentwood for their kids are saving the district lots of money. These residents are doing a real service to their community by providing more resources than they are using.
That’s what we’ve thought for years. Our daughter graduated from Brentwood High and she was in a very small class. It does limit one’s options. A consolidation with another neighboring school would be beneficial.
Could you please explain what you mean by “more school choice”? As an enrolled Brentwood student, I am yet to encounter a situation in which the size of the school has had any negative impact on my ability to learn or participate in extracurricular programs.
You live in Brentwood, but you’re a kickass guitar player/singer/drummer and want to attend MRH to be in the acclaimed R&B band. You attend MRH instead of Brentwood.
Or, say you live in Richmond Heights and have a great throwing arm/want to play football. You choose Brentwood.
Because the school district now has two (awesome) high schools, you have that choice.