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ISBE Takes Over East St. Louis Schools

For the first time in its history, the Illinois State Board of Education has taken over a public school district.
The board voted unanimously Thursday to dissolve the seven-member elected board of the East St. Louis Public Schools and replace it with an appointed oversight authority.

The district was already under state financial oversight, and the board had previously entered an agreement giving a state consultant the final say over most decisions. But state superintendent Christopher Koch says those steps weren't enough.
 
"We do have, just to remind folks at the high school ... academic performance is the reason for this action. 11 percent of student meeting or exceeding standards at the high school, only 60 percent in the entire district."
 
The board Thursday also approved a 30 million dollar emergency loan to help East St. Louis Public Schools meet their expenses. The board's chairman said he would have been reluctant to approve the loan without the state takeover.
 

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