SUIT WOULD STOP FUNDS TO WEALTHY SCHOOLS

Attempting to halt the flow of money to the state's wealthiest school districts for desegregation, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon filed suit Thursday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to stop the court-ordered payments.

"We are going to try and stop continuing capital payments to the schools like Clayton, Ladue and Parkway that continue to build with money that's probably not benefiting the students it was intended for," Nixon said.

The three St. Louis school districts are the wealthiest in the state.

Since 1983, the state has provided $35.7 million to suburban St. Louis school districts for the cost of building classroom space for city students who transferred schools as part of the desegregation program.

Nixon said new projects asked for by the school districts ignore the possibility the space for transfer students may not be needed.

Three other schools have asked for more money since the school year began. Nixon said various districts are "trying to get one last bite of the apple. We don't want to pay for something just as the door closes."

"This is just one step taken," said Nixon. "It has to be taken in the context that this is a long way from a major historic groundswell. There's still $160 million we have to pay next year."