St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay wants mayor's office to sponsor charter schools
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St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay wants mayor's office to sponsor charter schools

Date: March 14, 2007
By: Amy Becker
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay visited the capitol to testify in support of a bill that will allow the mayor's office to sponsor charter schools.

Amy Becker has more from Jefferson City.

Senate Bill 564 authorizes the mayor's office in St. Louis to sponsor charter schools. 

Mayor Slay says taxpayers have payed billions of dollars for a public school system that has not reached its full potential. 

RunTime:
Actuality:  MAYOR.WAV
Run Time: 00:17
Description: I'm not here because of a political ideology.  I'm here because our kids need more choices for better education.  This is about the future of the city.  Our population is on the increase, St. Louis public school enrollment declining, charter school enrollment is going up.


OutCue: SOC

Slay says the demand is present for charter schools and St. Louis must provide for the demand to keep parents in St. Louis county. 

From the state Capitol, Amy Becker KMOX news.

The missouri state Capitol got a surprise visit from St. Louis mayor Francis Slay.  The mayor came to Jefferson City to give testimony in support of a bill concerning St. Louis charter schools.

Amy Becker has more from Jefferson City.

The Mayor gave his testimony on Senate Bill 564 which is sponsored by St. Louis Senator Jeff Smith.

The bill will authorize the St. Louis mayor's office to sponsor charter schools.

The President of the St. Louis Teacher's union, Mary Armstrong, testified in opposition of the bill saying sponsorship is not the reason for declining enrollment.

Actuality:  MARY.WAV
Run Time: 00:15
Description: We're losing students from St. Louis public schools because we don't have affordable housing for those who are currently attending St. Louis public schools.  We also have students and parents who are abandoning St. Louis public schools because of discipline.


 

St. Louis and Kansas City are the only cities in Missouri that can have charter schools.

Reporting from the state Capitol, Amy Becker KMOX news.