ST. LOUIS - Tuesday was the first day of classes for a St. Louis middle school that had spent its summer in the middle of a rare transition.
The old catholic, De La Salle Middle School is now a charter school name La Salle Middle School.
Melissa Brickey, excutive director of De La Salle Inc., said under the catholic school model, the school could only financially afford to teach around 70 students.
However, because of the new state funds it receives, the charter school will now be able to provide an education to even more kids.
She said that's crucial when you consider the amount of academic success De La Salle achieved in the past. That school had a graduation rate of 98 percent and a college acceptance rate of 80 percent.
"We've been able to provide that education for 50 to 60 students per year and with this transition, it allows us to provide that excellence in education for more students," she said.
Principal Phil Pusateri said he was proud to provide such an educational opportunity to the region.
"Our parents and families deserve a number of choices of great schools," he said.
Augustus Jacobs Jr., has a daughter at the school. He said he appreciates the school too.
"It's in our community, which is another plus for me," he said.
There will be a few big changes students will have to get used to.
Since the school is no longer Catholic, it won't require students to receive catholic school lessons during school hours. Those will now be optional and will only offered before and after school.
But, that change doesn't bother Jacobs who said he's happy his daughter will still have the ability to learn about Catholicism.
The Archdiocese of St. Louis released a statement earlier this year when La Salle decided to become a charter school.
The diocese said while it believes in the benefits of a Catholic education, it said it also respected the school's decision to make a transition.
