The often-choppy waters dividing public schools and charter schools in St. Louis have temporarily been bridged at a confluence.
The St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education, with retiring Superintendent Kelvin Adams’ support, on Dec. 13, 2022, approved an agreement to serve as charter sponsor for Confluence Academies for four years, beginning July 1, 2023.
The University of Missouri – Columbia slammed the school door on its support for all charters permanently, the educational fate of more than 2,400 Confluence students was unknown.
While it is governed by an independent board, and not the elected SLPS board, it is required by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to have a sponsor. DESE must also approve the SLPS/Confluence agreement.
“Over the years, SLPS has maintained dialogue with Confluence leaders in the interest of ensuring a quality education across for all school-aged children in the City of St. Louis,” Adams said.
“Confluence leaders have been at the table for discussions on a Citywide Plan for Education. When leaders of the University of Missouri – Columbia announced it would not be sponsoring any charter schools going forward, it gave Confluence and SLPS leaders an opportunity to strengthen our partnership with SLPS assuming the remaining four years of that five-year sponsorship agreement.”
Confluence’s board approved the SLPS sponsorship last week.
“After reviewing several sponsorship opportunities, we believe that the Saint Louis Public School District is an ideal sponsor at this time,” said Leona Lucas, Confluence Academies chair. said.
“SLPS shares our deep commitment to the St. Louis community, and like us, they live that commitment every day to help students, and our city, succeed. In recent years, a talented and dedicated team of leaders, teachers and staff have enabled Confluence students to increase their academic scores, which are one measure of success, and we expect that positive trend to continue.
“Over the next six months, we will work closely with Mizzou and SLPS to ensure a seamless transition.”
Mizzou is in the first year of a five-year sponsorship agreement but will discontinue sponsorship of all charter schools at the end of the current school year. SLPS currently serves 19,500 students Pre-K through grade 12 with approximately 3,400 staff.
The two school systems would continue to operate independently, financially, academically, and operationally, with neither having responsibility for any actions taken by the other on behalf of its students and staff.
They will not share services “unless efficiencies are identified that would benefit all students. There would be no impact to the budgets, existing unions, overall operations, or academics of either school system,” according to an SLPS release.
A sponsoring district, SLPS will receive between $125,000 and $200,000 annually to offset the expenses of establishing an office to provide oversight and reporting and to maintain communication with DESE on the partnership.
“Confluence and SLPS share a deep commitment to our children and our community, and in recent years we have served them all better through a culture of cooperation. So, our discussions on a sponsorship agreement make sense,” Dr. Candice Carter-Oliver, CEO of Confluence Academies, said.
“For the last several years, greater cooperation has helped bridge gaps in service to students and create better outcomes, but more is needed,” Dr. Carter-Oliver said.
Dr. Adams reflected on this progress and the work yet to do. “As an example, we voted to close Clay Elementary because other schools were serving the neighborhood. A brief time later we learned of the impending closure of a charter and parochial school in that same neighborhood which created an educational desert. Children were displaced and families had to make new choices in education. Greater collaboration would have averted this issue,” he said.
“This was just one scenario, there are many other opportunities and synergies that arise when you have two institutions working together for a common goal, delivering quality education to all St. Louis City students.”
Over two decades, three educational institutions have sponsored Confluence schools.
As with previous changes in sponsorship, from the University of Missouri—Rolla to Mizzou in 2014, for example, the SLPS agreement will have no effect on day-to-day functions at Confluence.
There are many other opportunities and synergies that arise when you have two institutions working together for a common goal, delivering quality education to all St. Louis City students, Adams said.
Matt Davis, SLPS board chair, said the agreement “is what will be best for the students involved.”
“Our mission is to give the children of St. Louis, all children of St. Louis, the best education possible. Working together with Confluence to provide a seamless transition in sponsorship is how we fulfill that mission for these kids.”
Byron Clemons, AFT St. Louis, Local 420 president said the alliance “will prevent chaos in our community.”
“We do have some experience with what happens when a charter school abruptly loses its sponsor. Each time a Charter School sponsorship was lost and/or closure has occurred it has caused disruption in the community,” Lee said.
“Parents and kids are left scrambling for a new school. Other schools have to accommodate an influx of newly enrolled students. In this case 2,400 kids, hundreds of teachers/staff would be potentially displaced, and thousands of families would be affected.”
