St. Louis district takes over charter school

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Even as St. Louis' financially troubled school district plans to close six schools and chop millions from its budget, it is taking on 800 students from a failed charter school.

The Special Administrative Board that oversees the district voted Thursday to shut down the six schools and eliminate nearly 500 jobs as part of a massive cost-cutting move.

At the same meeting, the board voted to assume day-to-day operations for Ethel Hedgeman Lyle Academy Charter school for the remainder of the school year. That decision came after Missouri Baptist University revoked sponsorship of the charter school, effective Thursday.

The charter school was struggling financially. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the charter school's security company was preparing to stop providing guards, and busing service was to end Friday. Electricity and food service also were jeopardized, according to a letter to the St. Louis school officials from Missouri Baptist President Alton Lacey.

"We have determined that continued operation of the academy presents a clear and immediate threat to the health and safety of the children enrolled at the academy's schools," Lacey wrote.

Still, the news was a shock to students.

"What are we going to do?" junior Kaitlyn Haynes asked a newspaper reporter when told the school was shutting down.

As of Friday, the St. Louis district took over instruction and administration of the charter school, which operates out of two campuses downtown. Rick Sullivan, chief executive officer of the three-person state-appointed board that oversees St. Louis schools, said state funds will pay the charter school's remaining bills through the end of the school year on June 3.

"There's 800 students there who need to know, along with their families, that they're going to be able to finish this school year in a very orderly fashion," Sullivan told KMOX radio. "That will be our No. 1 focus."

The budget cuts were originally outlined earlier this month. School officials hope an early retirement program will minimize layoffs. Still, Superintendent Kelvin Adams acknowledged the cutbacks will create hardship.

"Very, very difficult," he said of the budget situation. And he doesn't expect things to improve for some time.

"I suspect that we may be at this place for several years to come, depending on the economy," Adams told KMOX.