Riverview Gardens Choice of Mehlville is Political Shell Game

Regardless of what you may think, school district administrations and their attorneys are shrewd politicians. To be sure, they have to be. If they suck, they won't last long. If they're good at politics, they'll last a little longer. The best are both shrewd and sincere, and that's why Mehlville is so lucky to have Dr. Eric Knost.

So...why did Riverview Gardens pick Mehlville?

1. We are 22 miles away - a 30 minute drive, and that's in good traffic. Want free transportation? Your child is going to have to ride the bus for over an hour every day.
2. The whole of the Mehlville community does not support, therefore, does not invest in public education. We have the second lowest expenditure per student in St. Louis County. Only Bayless spends less. Riverview Gardens is footing the bill for students who choose to switch, so why wouldn't they pick Mehlville? Sure, RG parents can send their kids to the $18,000 a year Clayton School District, but they'd have to provide transportation. 
3. Lastly, the Mehlville Community will throw a fit. Why? Unincorporated South County is largely segregated and has a long history of racist attitudes. (One of the main reasons we don't have access to MetroLink.) I could provide dozens of personal anecdotes and I'm sure if we started a logbook, Patch readers in Mehlville could list hundreds. What do Mehlville residents see when they turn on the news and see that Riverview Gardens school district is wanting to send their children to Mehlville? They see, (and imagine) hundreds of black faces ready to invade 'Pleasantville.'