The city of St. Louis, MO is home to an impressive public school system that serves 43,000 students in 56 elementary schools, 21 middle schools, 11 high schools, and 4 special schools. Nearly 10,000 African-American students from the city attend these public schools. For more information and to submit an application, contact the Voluntary Interdistrict Election Corporation (VICC).
The districts a student can attend depend on where in the city they live. In addition to traditional schooling options, St. Louis also offers homeschooling for those who choose to educate their children at home. Numerous groups, both secular and religious, provide support to homeschooling families.
After three consecutive years of classification as a provisionally accredited or non-accredited district, schools in that district can be sponsored by any of the entities on the list of 160,400 (subject to approval by the State Board of Education).Any student who resides in a non-accredited school district can transfer to an approved charter school in the same county or in a neighboring county. St. Louis has earned recognition from regional and national publications for its impressive 37 programs operating in 81 buildings across two metropolitan areas. The Missouri Charter Schools Act states that Missouri charter schools must have 80 percent of their teachers certified and 20 percent qualified to teach with certification in other states, countries, etc. A charter school can establish a geographical area around the school whose residents will have a preference to enroll in school, provided that such preferences do not result in the establishment of racially or socioeconomically isolated schools and provided that such preferences conform to the policies and guidelines established by the state board of education.
It is also important to note that charter schools must spend no less than ninety percent of their charter school sponsorship funds in support of their charter school sponsorship program, or as a direct investment in sponsored schools. In conclusion, St. Louis is home to an impressive number of public schools and programs that serve thousands of students each year. With numerous options for both traditional schooling and homeschooling available, parents have plenty of choices when it comes to educating their children.
