Money or Diversity? An Implementation Analysis of the Voluntary Transfer Program in St. Louis, 1999-2009

  1. Between 1999 and 2009, suburban implementation of the voluntary transfer program was largely affected by economic factors.
  2. The analysis of the economic frame suggests that the drop in enrollment experienced by the transfer program was not due to families in the city not choosing to enroll in the program. Enrollment had fallen because suburban districts were choosing to enroll fewer transfer students from St. Louis into their school due to smaller per-pupil tuition reimbursements.
  3. While some articles included the benefits of diversity and integration, the negative perceptions of St. Louis schools, the city, and the Black students and families lingers. This suburban viewpoint supports the common assumption that urban minorities, especially those from low-income backgrounds, “lack the social and cultural capital required for social mobility.”
  4. It seems that the voluntary transfer program is not being threatened politically or legally, rather it appears that the suburban residents feel as if their schools, and by extension their students are being threatened financially and academically.