The St. Louis Board of Education failed to swear in its newest member during a previously scheduled meeting on Tuesday without public explanation.
The school board voted unanimously on Jan. 21 after interviewing a series of candidates to appoint Robert S. Harvey to a vacant seat on the board. The seat was vacated by Ben Conover in October.
School board President Karen Collins-Adams and Harvey could not immediately be reached for comment.
Some community members have raised questions about whether Harvey met the residency requirements to serve on the board. According to Missouri law, school board members “shall have been residents and citizens for at least three years immediately preceding their election.”
Harvey paid property taxes on a vehicle that had an address listed in Florissant until 2024, according to St. Louis County property records.
He was set to be sworn in during a monthly work session on Tuesday by Judge Christopher McGraugh, according to the meeting agenda. But the board skipped the swearing-in to address other district business without acknowledging the change in plans.
School board work sessions are typically held in person at the district’s downtown St. Louis office, but it was moved to Zoom due to inclement weather and road conditions after last weekend’s snowstorm.
Harvey is a career educator who has worked in charter schools in New York City and Memphis, according to his LinkedIn page. He currently serves as CEO of the nonprofit Partnership for Equitable and Resilient Communities.
“It is a humbling honor to be appointed by the Board to serve the students, families, teachers, and leaders of the district that shaped my childhood,” Harvey said in a statement to STLPR on Jan. 22.
