Mayor Announces Fourth Charter School to Open 2011-12 School Year

New Charter School serves children of North City neighborhoods

July 21, 2011 | 2 min reading time

This article is 13 years old. It was published on July 21, 2011.

Mayor Francis Slay today announced that a new public charter school would open this August. It is the fourth charter school to open in the coming school year.

Better Learning Communities Academy will open on August 15, 2011, in the Hyde Park neighborhood of North St. Louis. The school will open with three kindergarten classes, two first grade classes, and two second grade classes. It plans to expand gradually until it is a full K-8 school.

“My main focus is on reducing crime and increasing good schools,” Mayor Slay said. “Too many of our children are in substandard schools. Too many families have been forced to leave the City to pursue a good education for their children. We support this school because we believe it
will give children in the Hyde Park and surrounding neighborhoods an excellent education. We expect this school to achieve – and we will hold it accountable.”

Better Learning Communities Academy will give priority to children from its immediate community (the 63106 and 63107 zip codes) but will be open to all children in the City of St. Louis. The school, sponsored by University of Missouri-Columbia, will focus on individualized learning plans through small class sizes and high teacher-to-student ratios. Better Learning Communities Academy believes that providing students with an excellent education includes extending the school day. So, it has partnered with neighborhood organizations to provide its students with an educationally enriching and culturally relevant after school program.

“I’m thrilled to be able to offer a quality education to the children of Hyde Park and the surrounding neighborhoods,” said Crystal Church, the school’s principal. “Better Learning Communities Academy is filled with innovated, inspiring teachers – and I’m confident that they will make a difference in our students’ lives as well as in the community.”

Earlier this year, Mayor Francis Slay announced the opening of three other schools for the 2011-12 school year. Those schools, Jamaa Learning Center (opening with grades K, 3, and 6), Preclarus Mastery Academy (opening with 5th grade) and South City Prep (opening with grades 5 and 6) are still enrolling. Parents should call 314-436-2603 for more information or to enroll children in Better Learning Communities Academy. For information on other City charter schools, parents or guardians should call Robbyn Wahby, the Mayor’s Education Liaison, at 314-622-3746.

 

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