The St. Louis Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Robert S. Harvey as its newest member Wednesday evening.
Harvey still needs to formally accept the offer and will be sworn in during the board’s next work session on Jan. 27 to take his seat.
The seat was vacated by Ben Conover, who resigned in October, citing concerns around the firing of former Superintendent Millicent Borishade.
The board interviewed five candidates: Tavon Brooks, Wendy Goss, Toni Hayes, David Greenhaw and Harvey.
Harvey is a former St. Louis Public Schools student who attended Washington Montessori Elementary and Compton Drew Middle School. He said in his interview with the school board that he has served in school leadership roles in both New York City and Memphis.
“I just really have a deep respect for the way that public school systems, and namely SLPS, has been a critical community anchor but also a moral and ethical anchor for my family, for myself, and for how I arrive at this moment to connect with the board,” Harvey said during his interview.
He currently serves as CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Equitable and Resilient Communities, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is also listed as a consultant with the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis.
Additionally, Harvey is listed as a member of the board of directors of the St. Louis Education Fund, a nonprofit that helps fundraise for SLPS programs.
Harvey’s term will end in April 2027.
DESE meets with SLPS leadership
State education officials met with SLPS leadership on Jan. 15 after the district’s accreditation was lowered to a provisional status.
Education Commissioner Karla Eslinger and representatives from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education discussed financial stability, academics, attendance and transportation, according to a release from the department.
“The Commissioner of Education Dr. Karla Eslinger directed DESE’s deputy commissioners to establish weekly meetings with SLPS to gain a better understanding of what’s going on in the district and offer assistance where it’s needed,” the release stated.
The department said the district is not currently classified as financially stressed, despite financial headwinds cited by State Board of Eucation member Kerry Casey as a reason to lower the district’s accreditation.
According to Missouri law, school districts need to have at least 3% of operating expenses in reserves, which the district said it currently has. However, the district failed to submit its annual audit on time. It plant to submit it by the end of the month.
Eslinger and DESE do want the district to increase literacy rates by introducing interventions in first grade rather than third grade.
They also want the district to work on boosting attendance, a challenge many districts across the country have struggled with since the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to last year’s annual performance report, SLPS’s average attendance sits around 46.3%. The state average is about 78.5%. The standard is that 90% of students should be at school 90% of the time.
“In Saint Louis Public Schools, we are unequivocal about the connection between presence and performance: students cannot fully access or master instruction if they are not in the classroom,” interim Superintendent Myra Berry said in a statement. “Attendance is the first step toward equity. We ask our community to see each school day not simply as a requirement, but as a non-negotiable commitment to a child’s future.”
