By Marshall Griffin, St. Louis Public Radio
Jefferson City, Mo. – Missouri's State Board of Education voted unanimously today to strip Kansas City schools of their accreditation. The reasons for the action include a decline in meeting academic standards and a failure to provide a safe and orderly environment for learning. Chris Nicastro is Commissioner of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.
"At this point, we believe this is the best decision for the children of the Kansas City School District," said Nicastro. "Because it will, in fact, galvanize some definitive action on the part of the district, the community and this department."
Kansas City now has two years to regain provisional accreditation in order to avoid a state takeover of its school district. The state took over the St. Louis School District in 2008 after it failed to regain accreditation.