No sooner did the Riverview Gardens superintendent choose Kirkwood schools Tuesday as the second busing district for transfer students than a letter went out to parents in Kirkwood. It stated there would be room for only about 100 children from unaccredited districts.
The decision by Riverview Gardens Superintendent Scott Spurgeon to send buses to a second district was prompted by the expectation that there wouldn’t be enough slots available in Mehlville schools for the more than 560 Riverview Gardens students who have applied to go there. It now puts Kirkwood officials in the same predicament as those in Mehlville who say they welcome students transferring from unaccredited districts, but have limited space for them in their schools.
“We have room for a total of approximately 100 students from Riverview Gardens and Normandy,” Kirkwood Superintendent Tom Williams said in the letter. “This number will continue to change as we enroll resident students.”
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The selection of a second busing district is among the myriad of unexpected choices that Spurgeon has had to make since becoming the district’s chief on July 1. His district and Normandy schools face the collective loss of nearly 2,000 students after the Missouri Supreme Court upheld Missouri’s school transfer statute in June.
The law allows students in failing districts to transfer to higher performing schools in the same or adjoining county, with their home districts responsible for tuition and transportation costs.
The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has advised the two districts to select one district to send buses, and a second if that district becomes full.
As of Friday, 1,085 Riverview Gardens students had requested to transfer to schools throughout the area. Thirteen had selected Kirkwood as their first choice. Of the 859 who had requested to transfer from Normandy, seven had requested Kirkwood.
When asked whether available space played any role in his decision, Spurgeon said, “Capacity is what capacity is.” He said Kirkwood’s high academic standing, its location, lower tuition costs, and participation in the voluntary desegregation program with St. Louis Public Schools were the three predominant factors behind the choice.
Spurgeon also said he doesn’t regret choosing Mehlville earlier this month, despite the claim by Mehlville’s superintendent that there may only be room for about 150 transfer students.
Mehlville Superintendent Eric Knost said Tuesday his district may be able to take more than 150 students, but that is the highest he could commit to at this time.
“We believe we made two great selections,” Spurgeon said.
That said, Spurgeon added, “I would really like for our parents who are transferring out to reconsider. The spirit in Riverview Gardens is changing.”
With the first day of school just a few weeks away, Riverview Gardens officials are having to make unprecedented plans. They must map out bus routes to two other school districts, in addition to their own. They’re also taking a hard look at the budget, which could lose tuition and transportation expenses from student transfers exceeding $14.7 million by most recent estimates.
Staff reductions are a possibility, Spurgeon said. Meanwhile, district officials are trying to focus on how to improve learning for the approximately 4,800 students expected to stay. The district’s $32 million reserve fund will help finance the transfers for two years, if cost estimates don’t change much.
Today, staffers from Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, the organization coordinating the transfer effort, plan to contact Riverview parents who selected Mehlville schools as their children’s first enrollment choice. They may switch enrollment preferences if they’d rather send their child to Kirkwood, executive director Don Senti said.
The deadline for transfer applications is Thursday.
Brandon Jackson, a 2003 graduate of Riverview Gardens High School, became guardian of his 15-year-old brother when their parents died. He said his brother would need transportation to attend school elsewhere, and they didn’t like the choice of Mehlville. But now, he’ll have a talk with his brother about leaving Riverview Gardens High School for Kirkwood.
“Actually, I’m amazed they picked Kirkwood,” Jackson said. “I think it’s a very good school. I’m going to go to Riverview offices tomorrow to see what’s next.”
School in Kirkwood begins Aug. 20. Superintendent Williams said transfer students would not be placed in classrooms that are full, and that the district would try to avoid hiring additional staff if the number of transfer students rises.
“I can guarantee there will be a lot of principals wanting to ensure the process goes smoothly for all the kids,” said Ginger Cayce, spokeswoman for the district.
Kirkwood School Board President E.J. Miller emailed his welcome to transfer students after the decision became public: “In Kirkwood we are proudly known as the Pioneers, at the leading edge of change and innovation. We regard tonight’s announcement as another opportunity to move forward in that tradition.”
An informational meeting is planned for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Kirkwood High School.
