KANSAS CITY (AP) – Kansas City school district officials say only 12 families have asked to transfer out of the district next year to nearby accredited districts.

Officials with the district, and surrounding suburban districts, had raised concerns that a flood of students would seek to transfer out of Kansas City, which is one of three unaccredited districts in the state.

In two unaccredited St. Louis-area districts, more than 2,000 students left. A state law requires unaccredited districts to pay tuition and transportation for students to transfer to a nearby accredited school.

Several of the districts in suburban Kansas City had tried unsuccessfully to have the state courts declare the transfer law unconstitutional.

The Kansas City Star reports the 12 families seeking to transfer have a total of 23 students in the district.