St. Louis Partners With Charter School Organization

Breaks with a history of opposition

ST. LOUIS • Six years after refusing to sell vacant buildings to charter schools, leaders of St. Louis Public Schools on Thursday approved a partnership that would give the charter school organization KIPP St. Louis keys to an empty elementary building. For free.

The Special Administrative Board gave unanimous approval to an agreement that would link the school district with the nonprofit KIPP organization in a way that's unprecedented in the city. It would allow collaboration in areas such as professional development for teachers. And it would allow KIPP to use the old Mitchell School, 955 Arcade Avenue, for an elementary school slated to open in fall 2014.