By Adam Allington/Rachel Lippmann, KWMU
St. Louis, MO – The appointed board overseeing the St. Louis Public Schools voted Thursday night to shutter an additional 17 buildings - 14 by the end of the year - to help the district cope with a $36 million deficit. The closures will save the cash-starved SLPS $16 million a year.
The district will build three new facilities to house students from schools that will close. And board member Melanie Adams says even with the cuts, the district has room for future growth.
"We have allowed enough room in the schools that even if the city, or when the city increases in population, it will really allow families to come back in," Adams said. And District superintendent Kelvin Adams says classes will remain at or below the state average.
Attendance at Thursday's meeting was relatively light. One resident who did attend, Tim Kaminski, says the city has its priorities mixed up if it is handing out tax breaks to developers while shuttering schools. "When the banks were going broke we had money for banks, we have thriving sports community, professional sports are doing just fine," Kaminski said to approving murmurs. "And believe it or not the casinos are doing just fine."
Parents with students at schools on the closure list will receive a letter from the district next week telling them where their child will attend next year. There will also be community meetings at the closing schools the week of March 23rd.