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Board votes to end external SCOPE partnership, move Missouri Options back to Melville and Oakville high schools
Summary
After public comment warning that closing the alternative SCOPE school could harm vulnerable students, the board voted to end the South St. Louis County Management School partnership and to relocate Missouri Options programming into the district’s two high schools; staff will finalize transition plans and meet individually with affected employees.
The Mehlville R-IX Board of Education voted March 12 to end the district’s partnership with the South St. Louis County Management School and to relocate the Missouri Options program back into the district’s two high schools.
The vote followed a public comment by Chris Tyson, a 25‑year Melville educator, who urged trustees not to close the alternative SCOPE program. Tyson told the board that moving suspended and credit‑deficient students entirely to virtual instruction would “unequivocally harm students,” and he recounted anonymized student examples ("Jake" and "Anna") of learners who had succeeded in the alternative setting.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jason Lander presented the administration’s recommendation, saying the Missouri Options program — which serves credit‑deficient students and helps some earn diplomas under state guidelines — would operate from each student’s home high school going forward. He said the change aims to improve student access to building‑level supports, curricular options and transportation, while keeping Missouri Options teachers in place and preserving counseling partnerships.
Dr. Lander also proposed that students serving long‑term suspensions would continue to be served virtually with district staff oversight. He said staff have met with affected faculty and that the district will bring more detailed transition plans in April, including staffing decisions and schedules tailored to individual student needs.
A motion to end the SSL (South St. Louis County) Management School partnership and implement virtual service for long‑term suspensions passed at the meeting (transcript: "Motion carries 61"). The board asked administrators to finalize transition plans and to present staffing details and supports for students and families at a forthcoming meeting.
"We want to make sure that there is an appropriate environment for students to be successful," Dr. Lander said, describing efforts to coordinate counseling and school‑level supports as students move back into their home high schools.
Because enrollment in Missouri Options fluctuates, administrators said they will continue to monitor student schedules and participation rates and will provide updates to the board about student outcomes.
