St. Louis Public Schools leadership has promised increased accountability after recent scrutiny of its finances and operations.
“SLPS is not failing — it’s fighting for its future,” said school board President Karen Collins-Adams during a monthly meeting on Tuesday.
“Yes, this district faces challenges, but we are acting instead of standing still,” Collins-Adams said. “We are modernizing transportation, evaluating facilities, engaging families and keeping teachers at the center of the conversation even when disagreements arise.”
Last month, the Missouri State Auditor’s office gave the district a poor rating after evaluating its finances, hiring practices and contract procurement processes from last school year.
The audit came as the district fired former superintendent Keisha Scarlett for breaking protocols around hiring and alleged misuse of public funds. She denied any wrongdoing.
“The critical failure in budgetary practices, procurement, hiring and internal controls all predates this leadership,” Superintendent Millicent Borishade said. “Acknowledging these inherited gaps, St Louis Public Schools leadership is now poised to understand the challenges and act accordingly.”
Borishade was hired by Scarlett and previously served as the Chief of Schools for the district before being tapped to serve as superintendent.
Current board members Emily Hubbard, Tracy Hykes and Donna Jones all served on the board during the time period the audit focused on.
The district said in a statement released last week that it is working towards a corrective action plan to help balance its budget.
Bus ridership and enrollment grow
The district also provided an update on the first three weeks of school during Tuesday’s meeting.
The district reported that bus ridership grew from 5,705 students during the first week to 7,291 during the second week.
The number still lags behind last year’s bus ridership, which was about 9,000 students at the end of September, but Chief of Operations Square Watson said he’s “positive” that the number will grow.
It’s the district’s first year working with Zum, a new school transportation provider.
The on-time performance also improved as the school year got underway.
66% of students arrived at school on time in the morning during the first week to 80% during the second week.
Afternoon on-time performance increased from about 83% during the first week to 91% in the second week.
Watson said the district was in the process of working out some kinks, including timely buses for students participating in after-school programs and sports.
Enrollment has also continued to grow, according to Chief of Technology Natasha Mitchell.
By the end of the first week of school, 15,269 students had shown up to school at least one day.
That number has grown to just over 17,000 as of Monday, Mitchell said.
However, attendance continued to lag behind enrollment, which is a common trend across the country.
14,641 students attended school on Sept. 3 – a number that continues to fluctuate since the start of the school year nearly one month ago.
The district has attributed some of the lower attendance to displacement caused by the May 16 tornado. However, there has yet to be a final tally of students impacted.
Borishade said the number of students receiving additional support through the McKinney Vento Act, which promises transportation to students who are experiencing homelessness, has remained relatively unchanged from last year at about 4,000 students.
