History of St. Louis (1981–present) facts for kids
The history of St. Louis, Missouri from 1981 until today has been a time of making the city more beautiful and safer. There were also big changes in schools and the downtown area. St. Louis still faces challenges like crime and a shrinking population, but things have gotten a bit better.
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Making Schools Fair: Desegregation Efforts
Even though St. Louis Public Schools were supposed to be desegregated (meaning students of all races could go to the same schools) after 1954, many Black families lived in separate areas. This was due to old rules that kept housing segregated. So, schools remained mostly separated by race.
In the 1960s, not much was done to mix students from different neighborhoods. Schools with mostly Black students became very crowded, while schools with mostly white students had lots of empty space.
Lawsuit for Equal Schools
In 1971, a Black parent sued the St. Louis Board of Education, saying the schools were still segregated. A local judge first said no, but a higher court disagreed. This higher court, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, suggested that solving the problem might need to include schools in the surrounding county too.
The NAACP (a civil rights group) also joined the case. They argued that suburban schools had helped keep things segregated in the past.
The Voluntary Transfer Program
In 1981, a plan was created to fix the segregation problem. It suggested that suburban school districts could voluntarily accept Black students from the city. Since the state of Missouri had laws that caused the original problem, the state had to pay for all transportation and extra costs for these students.
To get more schools to join, the court first offered to remove them from the lawsuit. Then, they suggested combining all city and county school districts if more didn't volunteer. This made almost all suburban districts agree to help.
How the Plan Worked
The agreement was signed in 1983 and had five main parts:
- Student Transfers: Suburban schools would increase their Black student population by 15% or reach 25% Black students.
- Magnet Schools: County students could choose to transfer to special "magnet schools" in the city. These schools offered unique programs.
- School Improvements: Money would be spent to improve city schools.
- Funding: The state of Missouri would pay for the plan.
This plan started in the 1983–1984 school year.
Challenges and Successes
Some politicians, like Missouri Attorney General John Ashcroft, challenged the plan. Ashcroft even campaigned against it, calling it "illegal and immoral." Despite this opposition, the plan greatly helped desegregate St. Louis schools. In 1980, 82% of Black students in the city went to all-Black schools. By 1995, that number dropped to 41%. By the late 1990s, about 13,000 students were part of the transfer program.
Later, in the late 1990s, other politicians like Jay Nixon questioned the plan's high costs. They suggested using the money to improve city schools instead. A new agreement was made in 1999. It reduced state money and focused on funding magnet schools and the voluntary transfer program. Most suburban districts agreed to continue.
The program mostly helped Black students transfer from the city to county schools. While the plan hoped for 2,500 white students to come to city magnet schools, only a few hundred did. In 2010, about 6,000 city students transferred to suburban schools.
Even with a lot of money, city schools still had weaker classes, libraries, and art programs compared to county schools. Some people also worried that the program weakened city schools by sending talented students away. However, the program will continue until all transfer students graduate, ending around the 2025–2026 school year.
New Buildings and City Improvements
From 1981 to 1993, during Mayor Vincent Schoemehl's time, downtown St. Louis saw a lot of new construction. This was the most building activity since the early 1960s.
Famous New Buildings
- One Metropolitan Square: This became the tallest building in the city, offering lots of office space.
- Union Station: Once a train station, it was empty for years. In 1985, it reopened as a fun place with shops and restaurants.
- St. Louis Centre: This large, four-story shopping mall opened in 1985. It had 150 stores. However, it became less popular over time and closed in 2006. Now, parts of it are being turned into apartments, a hotel, and shops.
The city also expanded the St. Louis Convention Center. Mayor Schoemehl worked hard to keep professional sports teams in St. Louis.
- Enterprise Center: A new arena for the St. Louis Blues hockey team opened in 1994. It was built where the old Kiel Auditorium used to be.
- Stifel Theatre: Next to the new hockey arena, the old Kiel Opera House was supposed to be renovated. This renovation finally started in 2011 and the beautiful theater reopened later that year.
Bringing Old Areas Back to Life
Starting in the early 2000s, many old buildings in St. Louis began to be fixed up and new ones built. This process is called gentrification, where older areas are improved, often attracting new residents and businesses.
- Washington Avenue Historic District: This area used to have many clothing factories. In the late 1990s, developers started turning the large factory buildings into apartments called "lofts." This made property prices go up a lot. By 2001, nearly 280 new apartments were built here. The Mercantile Exchange Building in this area is still being developed into offices, apartments, shops, and a movie theater. These changes have more than doubled the number of people living downtown between 2000 and 2010.
- Old Post Office: This historic building was empty for years. It was renovated from 1998 to 2006. Now, it has a branch of the St. Louis Public Library, a Webster University branch, and many offices. This renovation also led to a new plaza and a new apartment building nearby called Roberts Tower. This was the first new residential building downtown since the 1970s.
- Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village: In 1999, the St. Louis Cardinals baseball team wanted a new stadium. Plans for a new Busch Stadium were agreed upon in 2002. The new stadium opened in 2006. As part of the deal, the Cardinals also agreed to build a large complex called St. Louis Ballpark Village with shops, restaurants, and entertainment. Construction on Ballpark Village is still happening.
Other neighborhoods, like Forest Park Southeast, are also being extensively renovated.
