The St. Louis School Board has decided to spend more money on:

a) New textbooks and computers.

b) Hiring better-qualified teachers in hard-to-staff subjects like math and science.

c) Repairing old school buildings.

d) A PR campaign to slander the charter schools.

Answer: d. That’s right, the St. Louis School Board has hired a marketing firm for $25,000 to publicize the "negative impact of charter schools."

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch article notes that the School Board didn’t take bids for this contract. Surprise, surprise. It’s not exactly like they’re enthusiastic about the benefits of competition.