School Board

After suspending Superintendent Patrick Shelton, the Edwardsville District 7 Board of Education said in a statement that it was confident in acting Superintendent Allen Duncan's ability to lead the district.

The announcement comes after the killing of Charlie Kirk, the leader of the right-wing group that is popular across the nation's college campuses.

A spokesperson for Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick’s office confirmed the office will be reviewing the nearly $230,000 payout to former Superintendent Mike Dominguez, who resigned from the district weeks before the start of the school year.

Board member Jane Puszkar asked a consultant to review the district’s library books for age-inappropriate content without school board or district approval, according to a letter sent by the district’s former superintendent.

School boards in the Ferguson-Florissant and Riverview Garden school districts retain most incumbent leaders to bring stability as they navigate financial uncertainty.

The school board races signal a desire from voters to move past some of the culture war issues the districts have faced in recent years.

Edwardsville and East Alton will see new board leadership as school districts have struggled to navigate budget shortfalls after pandemic-era relief money dried up last year.

Eleven candidates are running for three seats on the Board of Education for the St. Louis Public Schools. The election will be held on April 8.

The Metro East board's action follows a similar move three months ago when it also voted to censure and remove for undisclosed reasons.

The actions at Monday's board meeting follow several teachers speaking out against Freeberg board member Jayson Baker. In his defense, Baker said he is "proud to stand alone, even if it comes at a great personal cost."