Ex-charter students swell St. Louis, KC enrollment
HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH, Associated Press
Updated 11:08 a.m., Saturday, August 18, 2012
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Enrollment has swelled in unaccredited St. Louis and Kansas City public schools as about 5,000 students from shuttered charter schools find a new place to get an education.
Years of declining enrollment, spurred by families moving to the suburbs or enrolling child in private, parochial or charter schools, meant the two districts saw less money from the state, which forced deep budget cuts. The Kansas City district had to close nearly half of its buildings before the 2010-11 academic year to avoid bankruptcy.
But when classes began Monday, the St. Louis district had 20,029 students, up about 6 percent from last year's first-day enrollment of 18,841. And in Kansas City, the district's first day count was nearly 1,000 students higher than last year, and officials projected that K-12 enrollment will hit 18,200, up about 15 percent from last year's 15,826 students.
Several academically struggling charter schools that had been run by Virginia-based
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