In light of the Supreme Court’s ruling today, Mayor Sly James is urging the Missouri General Assembly to alter the existing transfer law early in the 2014 legislative session. The experience of the St. Louis region clearly shows there are flaws in the state statute governing student transfers. The current transfer law puts the burden on families to work harder to find quality schools. Instead, we need a system where quality schools are guaranteed in each neighborhood so that no student needs to transfer into a better situation.
“Families don’t have to choose between living in Kansas City and sending their children to excellent schools. The two are not mutually exclusive evidenced by the fact that 15 different school districts exist within our city limits and each district has their own high-performing schools,” said Mayor James. “Every student deserves a quality school in their neighborhood. I urge the General Assembly to address this transfer issue holistically as soon as session convenes.”
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