St. Louis public school district no shoe in for accreditation

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Intro:	The head of the state board of education sheds doubt on the provisional accreditation of the St. Louis school district just one day before the vote."
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Wrap: The St. Louis public school district has a chance to gain provisional accreditation status, but Missouri State Board of Education President Peter Herschend says the district would be at risk of what he calls yo-yo affect.

Actuality:	HERSCH3.WAV
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Description: "The school goes up and down, and up and down, and never gets itself up to an accredited level."

St. Louis Republican Senator Jane Cunningham says the school district needs to prove it can sustain those numbers before given accreditation.

Both Herschend and Cunningham say provisional accreditation status would hamper the ultimate goal of full accreditation.

The district did meet the qualifications for provisional accreditation.

Reporting from the Capitol, I'm Brendan Cullerton.

Intro:	The state school board could still control the St. Louis public school district even if it gains accreditation status.
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Wrap: The St. Louis public school district lost accreditation status in 2007.

The district performed well enough last year to obtain provisional accreditation, but Missouri State Board of Education President Peter Herschend still is not ready to hand control of the district to the local board.

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Description: "Simply attaining provisional accreditation for one year would not be sufficient for my vote."

Herschend says he does not want to turn control of 25 thousand kids over to the local board because they were a major factor in the school losing accreditation.

Reporting from the Capitol, I'm Brendan Cullerton.

Intro:	Many student-transfer lawsuits could be thrown out the window if the St. Louis public school district recieves provisional accreditation.
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Wrap: For years St. Louis has been engaged in a legal battle over a law that allows children in unnacredited districts to transfer to other schools. Several of the schools have been sued for not accepting the students. But the law only applies to unnacredited schools, not provisionally accredited ones.

St. Louis Republican Senator Jane Cunningham says giving the St. Louis district provisional accreditation would make the lawsuits invalid.

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Description: "None of the adjoining school districts have been accepting kids and therefore all the lawsuits, but if they're provisional then no it doesn't then give the children that right."

The Attorney General's office released in a statement that the Supreme court could still rule on the merits of the case.

Reporting from the Capitol, I'm Brendan Cullerton.