Now that the Missouri Supreme Court has ruled in favor of allowing students in unaccredited school districts to transfer to any neighboring district, unforeseen consequences are sure to be on the horizon.
The good people of St. Charles County learned that this week, when the troubled Normandy School District announced that it would only pay for transportation to the Francis Howell School District, rather than a St. Louis County district nearby. Unaccredited school districts must not only pay the bill for transferring students—they must also pay for transportation to at least one designated district.
There is nothing that the St. Charles school district can do to stop the Normandy plan. Parents and students from the Kansas City, Riverview Gardens, and Normandy School districts can now literally pick where they want to go to school.
Normandy recently hired a new superintendent and had a school board member resign in total frustration. Violence at the school has been widely reported. In addition, Elliot Davis of FOX2 recently reported that the district is still spending thousands of dollars a year to send administrators to San Diego as part of a program to improve the failing district.
With all the negative publicity swirling, Normandy then surprised the state with its announcement to pay for transportation to Francis Howell—and only Francis Howell—passing over closer St. Louis County districts. Superintendent Tyrone McNichols said, “We felt that if the state is going to demand us to pay costs of tuition and transportation, we ought to send transportation to a high-quality district.”
Why that high-quality district is not Clayton, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, Pattonville, or another St. Louis County district is an interesting question. McNichols has not divulged his district’s reasoning. I think the new superintendent is making a political point, as well as watching out for the families that want to transfer students.
Meanwhile, Francis Howell is between the proverbial rock and hard place. It can’t stop Normandy from sending some students, because the law is solidly behind the failing district. It certainly would be accused of being elitist and/or racist if it raises too large a commotion about accepting some Normandy students.
We should prepare for more surprises over the coming months—especially in the Kansas City area, where thousands of students are now educational and athletic free agents.
Commentary by Alvin Reid
