To the editor:

The Nov. 29 edition of the Call had a front-page story headlined “Mehlville board to weigh OK of free, full-day kindergarten.”

The article noted Superintendent Eric Knost’s plans to recommend approval of tuition-free, full-day kindergarten for the 2013-2014 school year. As of this date, the Call is reporting that the board approved the measure.

While I’m sure that the actions of the su-perintendent and board members are well-intentioned, perhaps they should review the school district’s Missouri Assessment Program scores, available as of Dec. 4, on

.

The performance of the Mehlville School District is, quite frankly, unacceptable.

Fewer than 50 percent of the students passed the math test in 2011 at Bierbaum, Blades, Forder, Buerkle and Trautwein. In English, the results were much the same.

I have no idea what the performance objectives are for the district, but a pass rate of 90 percent would seem to me to be an appropriate goal. Not a single school within the district had a 90-percent pass rate in either English or math for the 2011 school year.

In light of these results, I would hope that the superintendent and Board of Education would focus on improving test scores im-mediately.

Full-day kindergarten and construction projects should take a back seat until the district accomplishes what it is designed to do; educate well our students.