By Adam Allington, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – The St. Louis School Board approved a variety of school reconfigurations and closings Wednesday night.
The board approved grade reconfigurations for two dozen schools; they also voted to close five others.
Superintendent Diana Bourisaw says it was important to resolve the closing issue before the end of the current school year "to insure that folks know where their going eo be and parents know who the principal is going to be prior to the summer."
The schools slated for closing are Euclid Montessori, Lafayette 9th grade Center, Webster Middle School, Ashland Elementary Annex and Turner Branch.
The districts financial officer claims the closings will save St. Louis Public Schools close to $2 million.
Board vice president Bill Purdy says closing schools is never easy, but is appropriate in this case. "We all have seen the numbers of our declining enrollment," Purdy said Wednesday. "We keep loosing 2,000-3,000 kids every year. Lord only knows what we plan to lose this coming year."
The district also is about to be taken over by the state, as of June 15.