By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – A five-day sit-in at St. Louis City Hall ended Sunday. The adults and students who spent the weekend there say they'll now take their message to Jefferson City.
They were protesting to voice concerns over the possible loss of accreditation for the St. Louis School District. Now, they plan to meet with Education Commissioner Kent King on Wednesday.
On Thursday, the state Board of Education is scheduled to decide the St. Louis School District's status.
A loss of state accreditation for the St. Louis Public Schools, by the way, will not harm students' chances of being admitted to three local universities.
High school students say such a move will harm their chances of getting into college and receiving scholarships.
But Washington University spokesman Andy Clendennon says that's not the case: "Washington University does not penalize an individual student when school or a district loses its accreditation."
A spokesman for Saint Louis University says that school has a similar policy. And Greg McCalley with the UM-St. Louis admissions office says district accreditation is not a factor in the selection process.
McCalley also says financial aid and scholarships are not dependent upon district accreditation, and that 10% of the current freshman class came from the St. Louis Public School District.