JEFFERSON CITY — Missouri education officials have decided to shut down a troubled school district in the St. Louis area.

The State Board of Education voted Thursday to close the Wellston School District after the end of this academic year and merge it with the nearby Normandy School District.

Wellston has about 500 students, compared with about 5,000 in the Normandy schools.

The Wellston district lost its state accreditation in 2003. Since then, state education officials say, the district has shown little academic improvement, its financial base remains weak and its buildings are in need of repair.

Wellston is the second school district to be closed in recent years for failing to meet state standards. The Wyaconda district in rural northeast Missouri closed in 2008.