By Tom Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – Gov. Matt Blunt on Friday named Derio Gambaro to the Missouri state Board of Education.
Gambaro is a former state representative and city election director who lost a bid last year for state senate.
Blunt had been under pressure to name someone from St. Louis City to the board; Gambaro lives on the Hill.
Gambaro said this morning he wants to wait until today's announcement before speaking publicly.
But last summer, while running for state Senate, he spoke with KWMU about the St. Louis School District and why he was at that time proposing a voucher-like program: "They're years away from having full accreditation," he said.
"So in the interim, we should give our parents choices in our children's' education. Let's give them some help so they can send them to either another public school district or a private or parochial school."
Gambaro said he would only support such an idea as long as city schools didn't lose money, and it would go away once the district got full accreditation.
Because lawmakers are not in session, Gambaro can join the board immediately before going through the confirmation process next year.