The library was locked, and it was a pretty grim place. The firm first conducted a census of all the schoolchildren in the surrounding apartments and uncovered a bizarre vestige of the school system's 25-year desegregation effort. Four hundred neighborhood African-American children were bused to 60 public schools across the city, while 350 minority children from other areas were bused to Jefferson. With the backing of the St. Louis School Board, Baron initiated a plan to return the school to its neighborhood. The school is hailed as a model for the troubled city system, and parents are enthusiastic about the changes.
Kids enjoy coming to school, they have self-esteem, and they have a lot to work with.
Parents are frequent visitors now, and volunteerism has greatly increased. Jefferson Principal Dr. Ann Meese lives in Murphy Park. She is enthusiastic about her school's potential, but admits that it has a long way to go to improve academic performance. Meese echoes the need for a holistic approach to inner city challenges. The PMI center would give us a way to link a jobs program, health care, shelter, and ultimately give us a development program that we can replicate in a variety of different locales.