Historical Background Enrollment History In response to a 1972
lawsuit, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled in 1980 that the St.
Louis Public School Board of Education and the State of Missouri
were responsible for maintaining a segregated school system. In
1981, the Appeals Court directed that a voluntary interdistrict
plan be worked out between the city and the county schools. A
pilot program with six school In 1983, a Settlement Agreement
was reached with all school districts in the metropolitan area
that included multiple components, including the transfer of
black city students into primarily white suburban districts and
white suburban students into magnet schools in the city.
Transportation and tuition costs were fully paid by the State of
Missouri. The preliminary goal for suburban districts was to
reach Plan Ratio (a 15 percent increase of all African-American
students in the district including resident students.) The
ultimate goal was for districts to achieve the Plan Goal which
was a 25 percent black In