Missouri’s board of education last week restored full accreditation to the St. Louis school district, citing a significant turnaround in the decade since poor academic and financial performance forced the state to seize control.
Chris Neale, an assistant commissioner, told board members that the district “has been on a significant upward trend,” improving in virtually every category—test scores, graduation rates, attendance, and financial performance.
The state-appointed board is to remain in place until June 2019.
Just 56 percent of students were graduating in 2007, and the district was $24 million in debt. Today, the district has a 72 percent graduation rate despite a high percentage of students living in poverty and a budget surplus of $19 million.
