Children Being Left Behind

In today’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch, an article discusses the
difficulties of the McCoys, a family that wants to transfer its two daughters from the
Riverview Gardens School District to an accredited one. The problem is that no school district will take their children:

Their district, Riverview Gardens, has been in academic and financial
shambles. The former superintendent faces felony charges for stealing
and tax evasion. In June, the McCoys thought they had found a way out when the state
declared Riverview Gardens unaccredited. But they soon found doors
closing instead of opening.

According to state law, accredited school districts do not have to take students from unaccredited districts. Because of this, many families that cannot afford to send their children to private schools have very few options, which is the case for the McCoys. The state, rather than trying to give students who want to learn an opportunity to go to good schools, is keeping bright children rooted in failing circumstances, giving them no options. School vouchers, if we had them, would allow the McCoys to send their daughters to schools that might actually give them a good education.