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WELLSTON, MO (KTVI-FOX2now.com) -
The Wellston school district faces a state shutdown and forced merger with an arch rival. If the state board of education approves the measure, which it is expected to do, effective July 1, 2010, Wellston students will become students of the Normandy school district. Wellston's 73 teachers, 15 administrators, and 49 other employees, will be without jobs.
"It's a very difficult and very emotional thing when you talk about changing what was, and move in the direction of what should be," Normandy Superintendent Dr. Stanton Lawrence told a crowd of several hundred people Monday night, all gathered to learn the fate of their districts. "We're going to embrace these young people, were going to value them."
Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro announced her decision at the meeting. She plans to recommend to the state board of education Thursday, that they merge Wellston into Normandy. Some parents in the meeting are unconvinced it will work. Jewell White, herself a 1982 Wellston graduate, does not like the plan, "I had one child to graduate in 2005, one to graduate in 2006, and my son is a junior. It really hurts me to hear about our school district," she says. "I worry about the curriculum, and also kids getting along."
Wellston lost state accreditation in 2003, and Nicastro says she sees no other option for 510 students who deserve an education, "There's no question that Wellston facilities are completely inadequate," she says, "and were not happy with where we see student performance. While there has been some improvement, it's been too little, too slow."
Nicastro says the man appointed by the state to run Wellston schools, Dr. Charles Brown, is also planning to retire at the end of the school year. His decision and Wellston's financial situation, coming out of debt but not having enough money to renovate facilities, make this the right decision at the right time, she says.
But there is worry from parents and students over blending two school districts with bad blood. Normandy and Wellston are deep-seeded rivals.
"At Wellston, our school is real close. We are all like family," says junior Kiara Richardson. "I don't think they should do this because I feel like it's going to make there be more fights and more drama."
Brown told parents they can be the solution.
"We are the ones that cause the problems and think they can't get along," he says. "If we give them the right direction at home, they'll follow the right direction in the streets."
Nicastro says this merger is a message to struggling districts that the state is not afraid to merge or dissolve districts. But she says St. Louis city schools are a different beast. St. Louis has 25,000 students. Wellston has just 510.
"It's always hard to make a decision when it impacts children," says Nicastro. "But what makes you sleep at night is when you're doing what you believe to be the best thing for kids. You can weigh all this data, all the factors and think about the adults, but ultimately you have to do what's best for children."
The teachers and staff from Wellston can apply for open jobs in Normandy, and because of the added students, Normandy could add new positions, but Nicastro says there is no guarantee Wellston's teachers will find employment in Normandy.
"It's a very difficult and very emotional thing when you talk about changing what was, and move in the direction of what should be," Normandy Superintendent Dr. Stanton Lawrence told a crowd of several hundred people Monday night, all gathered to learn the fate of their districts. "We're going to embrace these young people, were going to value them."
Missouri Education Commissioner Chris Nicastro announced her decision at the meeting. She plans to recommend to the state board of education Thursday, that they merge Wellston into Normandy. Some parents in the meeting are unconvinced it will work. Jewell White, herself a 1982 Wellston graduate, does not like the plan, "I had one child to graduate in 2005, one to graduate in 2006, and my son is a junior. It really hurts me to hear about our school district," she says. "I worry about the curriculum, and also kids getting along."
Wellston lost state accreditation in 2003, and Nicastro says she sees no other option for 510 students who deserve an education, "There's no question that Wellston facilities are completely inadequate," she says, "and were not happy with where we see student performance. While there has been some improvement, it's been too little, too slow."
Nicastro says the man appointed by the state to run Wellston schools, Dr. Charles Brown, is also planning to retire at the end of the school year. His decision and Wellston's financial situation, coming out of debt but not having enough money to renovate facilities, make this the right decision at the right time, she says.
But there is worry from parents and students over blending two school districts with bad blood. Normandy and Wellston are deep-seeded rivals.
"At Wellston, our school is real close. We are all like family," says junior Kiara Richardson. "I don't think they should do this because I feel like it's going to make there be more fights and more drama."
Brown told parents they can be the solution.
"We are the ones that cause the problems and think they can't get along," he says. "If we give them the right direction at home, they'll follow the right direction in the streets."
Nicastro says this merger is a message to struggling districts that the state is not afraid to merge or dissolve districts. But she says St. Louis city schools are a different beast. St. Louis has 25,000 students. Wellston has just 510.
"It's always hard to make a decision when it impacts children," says Nicastro. "But what makes you sleep at night is when you're doing what you believe to be the best thing for kids. You can weigh all this data, all the factors and think about the adults, but ultimately you have to do what's best for children."
The teachers and staff from Wellston can apply for open jobs in Normandy, and because of the added students, Normandy could add new positions, but Nicastro says there is no guarantee Wellston's teachers will find employment in Normandy.
