“I want to make it clear the intent of this board has always been to be a good partner,” Adams said, from a lectern in a sparsely filled room at the Special Administrative Board meeting. “The intent of this board, in terms of what they’re doing, is simply to make a case – to say that the dollars that are supposed to be targeted to the St. Louis school district remain in the St. Louis school district.”

But if successful, the district’s motion could close some charter schools that would be faced with a bill they couldn’t afford to repay.

It revolves around the 1999 Desegregation Settlement Agreement that dictates how a voter-approved city sales tax should be spent. When voters approved the tax, it was designated for district programs such as preschool and magnet schools to offset the harmful impacts of segregation. Now the district argues that Missouri has violated the agreement since 2006 by indirectly sending more than $42 million of desegregation money to charter schools — money they say should be returned.

“We have never sought to, in any way shape or form, impact any entity in a negative way as it relates to the resources to support kids, especially who are struggling,” Adams said.