School Closures

The executive board of the American Federation of Teachers Local 420 unanimously approved a no confidence petition, and it was delivered to school board President Karen Collins-Adams on Monday.

Six of the 12 schools, including Gateway/Hubert Wheeler in St. Louis, had already been temporarily closed because of staffing issues.

The district has over $200 million in reserves, but Superintendent Millicent Borishade said the increased expenditures are “unsustainable.”

A report recommends St. Louis Public Schools close 37 of its 68 buildings for the 2026-27 school year due to declining student enrollment and aging infrastructure.

The board voted 6-1 to approve the relocation of students from seven schools that were damaged by the May 16 tornado to other buildings within the district.

The unions, including the American Federation of Teachers Local 420, say the St. Louis Board of Education is delaying bringing them into discussions after they voted 7-0 to do so during a work session two weeks ago. At least 12 schools were damaged during the May 16 tornado, resulting in over $1 million in damage, and seven of them will not be repaired in time for the first day of school on Aug. 18.

Seven public schools in north St. Louis were damaged during the May tornado. Sumner High School suffered significant roof damage and is closed this fall. Its alumni are worried that the district may prolong the repairs and that students may never return.

The district will have to redraw boundaries to better distribute students across its remaining buildings before the 2026-27 school year.

Superintendent Tanya Patton made the recommendation to the Board of Education due to the building’s high remodeling cost and declining student enrollment.

The district notified families on Tuesday that some storm-damaged schools will not be ready to reopen in time for the first day of school on Aug. 18.