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About half of the school-aged kids in St. Louis don’t attend the city’s public school district. St. Louis parents face an overwhelming number of school options: magnet, neighborhood, gifted, charter, parochial, private or homeschool. Host Luis Antonio Perez walks to school with a family in Ellisville, then sits down with three parents. Each chose different educational paths for their kids: moving to a school district in St. Louis County, sticking with public schools in the city and homeschooling. In a candid conversation they talk about why they love their choices, what they wish they had from the other options, and how people react when they find out. And, STLPR education reporter Hiba Ahmad also explains how a new proposal to close 14 schools next year might affect students and families. Sign up for the Meet Me newsletter at STLPR.org/newsletters Follow us on Instagram @MeetMeSTL Credits: This episode was written, hosted, produced and mixed by Luis Antonio Perez, with story editing by Alex Heuer and Brian Heffernan and additional editorial support from Hiba Ahmad. The executive producer of “Meet Me” is Brian Heffernan. Paola Rodriguez is our engagement producer with editorial support from Lara Hamdan. Podcast art by Cristina Fletes-Mach. Our theme music is by Kudda & Friends. Special thanks to Rukiya Anthony. Grant support comes from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Support this work at stlpr.org/donate

Missouri Supreme Court ruled unanimously that a referendum challenging the Trump-backed 2025 Missouri First map belongs on the November ballot. This means voters will get a chance to weigh in on the state’s new congressional map but also that congressional districts drawn in 2022 will be in effect for the November election. In this episode of “Meet Me” host Luis Antonio Perez sits with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum to catch up on the latest news and the significance of this historic decision.

Missouri’s Trump-backed congressional map is one court ruling away from being locked in for the 2026 midterms. Host Luis Antonio Perez talks with voters about a confusing congressional primary election, then sits down with STLPR politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum to unpack the redistricting drama and the upcoming final court battle. Along the way, they revisit why the plot of the ‘90s film “Air Bud” is key to understanding the legal arguments over voting rights and representation in Missouri.

St. Louis city leaders voted to spend $255 million from a legal settlement tied to the departure of the Rams football team. Host Luis Antonio Perez revisits the glory days of the St. Louis Rams’ Super Bowl runs and the disappointment of team owner Stan Kroenke moving the team to Los Angeles. He also sits with two St. Louis residents — Brendalyn King and Eli Front — who live in different parts of the city. Brendalyn lives in the city’s historically disinvested north side that was also impacted by an EF3 tornado last year, and Eli lives downtown, where conversations about regional economic development are often centered.They discuss what it’s like to live in their respective neighborhoods, what they think would help their communities flourish, and issues that they see that money can’t fix.

At the start of every decade the Census redraws America's lines of representation. But in 2025, at President Trump's urging, several states — including Missouri — moved to redraw their congressional maps mid-decade. The result is a high-drama scramble that could reshape who controls the U.S. House. In this episode, host Luis Antonio Perez sits down with St. Louis Public Radio politics correspondent Jason Rosenbaum to break down the "what, how, and why" of Missouri's new 2025 map and how the movie “Air Bud” explains part of this saga. With August primaries already underway, we trace where things stand and what's still left to play out.

St. Louis civic and political leaders want to expand Gateway Arch National Park across the river to East St. Louis, Illinois. It would fulfill the vision of Eero Saarinen whose original design included park grounds on both sides of the river. It would also fulfill the dream of a man who spent his life — and dedicated his fortune — to park expansion, Malcolm W. Martin. Host Luis Antonio Perez visits Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park - directly across from the Gateway Arch, learns about Malcolm Martin's life from his longtime friend and colleague, and sets out on a canoe trip down the Mississippi River.

More stories from the "Meet Me" open mic eleven months after an EF3 tornado ripped through St. Louis. Residents were invited to share experiences and reflections about the tornado almost a year later. This piece was produced for the STLPR series TORN - about the struggle to recover from the tornado, the flailing government response, and the fight for north city.

Eleven months after a deadly tornado tore through St. Louis the “Meet Me” team organized a community open mic event. Residents were invited to share experiences and reflections about the tornado almost a year later. Their stories in their words.

The father-and-son team behind Dogtown Pizza, a family-owned frozen pizza business in St. Louis, sit down for a candid conversation. They discuss the early challenges of building the company and how, years later, they worked together to dramatically expand it. They also share a heart-to-heart about the son’s plans to step away from the business and pursue his own dreams.

During a surprise press conference on Thursday, March 12, St. Louis County Executive Sam Page said the region’s residents should embark on a discussion about combining aspects of St. Louis and St. Louis County government — including the city reentering the county as a municipality.

What happens when a border becomes more than a line on a map? In this episode of “Meet Me,” residents living near the St. Louis city-county line describe what it means to live along a divide that shapes daily life. We also dive into one of the most ambitious attempts to reunite the city and county, the Better Together plan from 2019. Through interviews with civic leaders, elected officials and longtime political voices, host Luis Antonio Perez explores how the plan gained momentum, why it failed and what its collapse reveals about power, trust, race and regional identity in St. Louis.

150-years ago, St. Louis chose to split itself in two. The decision created an enduring divide that still shapes the region today. In this episode of Meet Me host, Luis Antonio Perez, visits a family whose home sits right on the city-county line and explores the origin of the split with historian Andrew Wanko.

In St. Louis, it doesn’t take much to find a divide. There are the invisible lines we draw around politics, high schools — even what toppings belong on a pizza. And then, there are the big divides, like the 150-year-old split between St. Louis city and county. “Meet Me” is all about connecting across divides to find a way forward.