St. Louis awards $544,887 for North Side boys preschool
News briefs St. Louis awards $544,887 for North Side boys preschool St. Louis’ Community Development Administration has awarded $544,887 to the Foundation for Strengthening Families to help launch Good Shepherd Academy for Boys, a preschool for boys ages 3 to 5 serving Hamilton Heights, the West End, Wells-Goodfellow and surrounding North St. Louis neighborhoods. The […] The post St. Louis awards $544,887 for North Side boys preschool appeared first on St. Louis American.
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St. Louis awards $544,887 for North Side boys preschool
St. Louis’ Community Development Administration has awarded $544,887 to the Foundation for Strengthening Families to help launch Good Shepherd Academy for Boys, a preschool for boys ages 3 to 5 serving Hamilton Heights, the West End, Wells-Goodfellow and surrounding North St. Louis neighborhoods.
The grant includes $413,533 in American Rescue Plan Act funds and $131,345 in Community Development Block Grant funding. Total project costs are about $1 million, with additional support from tax credits and donations.
A groundbreaking and ceremonial check presentation was held April 16. The academy is expected to enroll 20 boys and will focus on early learning, social-emotional development and school readiness as part of the Show Me Family Zone initiative.
Supporters say the project is designed to strengthen families by expanding early childhood opportunities in historically underserved communities.
Court ruling could reshape Missouri redistricting debate
A U.S. Supreme Court decision Wednesday could give Missouri lawmakers more legal room to redraw the St. Louis-based 1st Congressional District in future elections, St. Louis Public Radio reported.
Major changes are unlikely before this year’s election because Missouri House Republicans lack enough votes to immediately enact a new map before the August primaries. Missouri Republicans have also previously explored reshaping the Kansas City-area 5th District, another Democratic stronghold, as part of broader redistricting efforts.
The 1st District, which includes St. Louis and parts of St. Louis County, has long been a majority or plurality Black district. Voting rights advocates warned the ruling could make it easier to weaken minority voting power, while Attorney General Catherine Hanaway praised the decision.
Missouri’s Supreme Court has ruled lawmakers can revisit congressional boundaries in future sessions.
Ex-Alderman Bosley sentenced to prison in fraud case
Former St. Louis Alderman Brandon Bosley was sentenced Tuesday to 16 months in federal prison after being convicted of wire fraud and lying to the FBI in an insurance fraud scheme tied to a damaged car and false repair claims, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Prosecutors said Bosley used his public office to help a business owner seeking city incentives, then sought an inflated insurance payout after his car was damaged.
Bosley, elected in 2017, was also ordered to pay restitution. U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey told Bosley, once seen as a “rising star,” that “Your star burned out quickly,” The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
Former St. Louis prosecutor now works in nursing program
Former St. Louis Circuit Attorney Kim Gardner is now a nursing fellow at the University of California-Davis, according to university records cited by Fox 2 and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Gardner, who resigned in 2023 after years of controversy, is listed in psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
A Missouri audit found she attended nursing classes while on the city payroll. Gardner also faces a pending disbarment case tied to reimbursement payments.
Hazelwood names Bonita Jamison superintendent
The Hazelwood School District Board of Education has named Dr. Bonita E. Jamison as its next superintendent, effective July 1.
Jamison, currently superintendent of the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District, will succeed Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart, who is retiring after a decade leading Hazelwood. Jamison has more than 25 years of experience in public education and previously lived in the Hazelwood district. She is also the parent of a Hazelwood West graduate.
Hazelwood officials said community feedback helped shape the superintendent search.
Jamison holds a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
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