Just three weeks before the opening of the school year, St. Louis Public Schools is without a permanent leader following the sudden departure of former Superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett.
Scarlett officially began her duties as superintendent on July 1, 2023, coming to St. Louis from Seattle to replace longtime former Superintendent Kelvin Adams, has taken “a leave of absence.”
Dr. Millicent Borishade, Scarlett’s deputy assistant who joined her after leaving Tukwila (Washington) Public Schools, will take over the district.
“The Board of Education has approved Deputy Superintendent Dr. Millicent Borishade as Acting Superintendent, and she has accepted this role while Superintendent Dr. Keisha Scarlett is on a temporary leave of absence,” the Board of Education said in a statement released at 10 20 a.m. Friday July 26, 2024.
“We are fully confident that, under Dr. Borishade’s leadership as acting superintendent, there will be no interruptions in the ongoing work and preparations for the upcoming school year.”
The district is bracing itself for a first day of school that will face transportation challenges.
In response to bus driver shortages, which led to late buses and interrupted service, SLPS is hiring 19 vendors to assist with student transportation and the fleet will include yellow buses, ride-share vehicles, passenger vans, and shuttles.
Under the plan, some high school students who need transportation, estimated to be around 1,000 kids, will receive bus passes, and take public transportation through Metro Transit to get to class. All high schools will now start at 7:15 a.m., which is 50 minutes earlier for four high schools.
Scarlett’s recent hires included at least 12 former Seattle administrators and employees from Seattle – with some jobs going to spouses of those coming to SLPS.
In addition, SLPS’ new communications chief Phoenix Jackson posted online last week that she would be living in both Houston and St. Louis and “float as needed between two lives and I love that for me,” while managing the essential role.
This and the Seattle hires led Board of Education President Toni Cousins to call for an investigation into SLPS hiring and temporarily freeze any additional employment additions.
“We will be reviewing positions as a whole, not just because of the chief of communications position. I would hope that they would take a deeper dive and see what’s going on with that particular hire and then present to the board,” Cousins told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
“We’re only responsible for hiring and firing one person, and that’s the superintendent.”
SLPS had also reportedly has gone from having a $17 million budget surplus to facing a potential $35 million shortfall.
In addition, teachers and staff in the district were notified that raises approved by the board last spring that would begin in the 2024-25 would be delayed because of “logistical issues.”
In an article by Sylvester Brown of the St. louis American in July 2023, Scarlett said, “I have a strong faith in God’s plan and purpose. I believe I was sent here as part of a divine plan and I’m unapologetic about that.”
“I believe we are poised for a rebirth and renaissance to move forward as one of the greatest cities in the country,” Scarlett said.
“There are a lot of opportunities here, we just have to make sure kids who’ve been most marginalized and most disenfranchised have access to opportunities.”
Scarlett’s opportunity at SLPS ended less than 13 months after it began.
I knew she wasn’t gonna last when she hide behind a pillar in vashon when safety broke up a fight and she came the next time with an assigned safety officer everywhere she went in the district.
This mess hurts the kids, send the wring message to staff because now the agreed raises for staff are on hold until they investigate things.
Glad I left now.
That last sentence is savage. Lol
LOL
The children of the City of St Louis deserves Champions to Replace the Current @board of Education St. Louis Public Schools henceforth Bill Monroe has Campaigned for one 1️⃣ of three 3️⃣ Seats on the 2025 School Board Elections because White Supremacy takeover is at the roots of problems for. The Black Communities
Bill should try learning how to write a complete sentence in standard English before serving in a decision-making position that affects education. Or is “White Supremacy” to blame for this lack of ability?
We had a native St. Louisiana who was qualified for the job and she lived right here in St. Louis. We let here go instead to do a lengthy search for someone we didn’t really know. We always do that why? We need to look at our people right here in St Louis MO. They know what our families need; I was a former teacher for 30 years in the SLPS and I watch this happen over and over again. Thus; our students continued to suffer we are spending our money else where instead of taking care of Home SLPS.
It late but I am speaking of the individual who was acting as the superintendent before Dr. Scarlett came she applied for the position.Why didn’t she get a chance? Again we need to look at individuals who are qualified right here in St.Louis, Mo and stop wasting money save our students.
Will you please forgive my spelling errors my emotions got the best of me 😞
This is what we should be investigating.
who hired her?
who hired her?
Absolutely scandalous! It is no wonder our students are behind academically!
She and her cronies need to be prosecuted!
I just hope they hurry up and finish the investigation and move forward to get our district back up and running. The issues with the transportation is a serious matter and needs to be rectified asap.
Whatever the issues are with the superintendent, needs to be rectified as soon as possible. We need transportation to be up and running for our students. We need our raises that we were supposed to receive this school year.
Rectified as soon as possible? We better hire a third party auditor. The district will do its own, the mayor will do hers and we the citizens should request a third private audit from not anyone influenced by business or interest in the region.
Interesting this is one of these we will see moments with what st louis public schools versions the role it plays with what is important to mission of staying on tract with education for the kids in st louis
Its a challenge to continue Dr Keelvin Adams committed legacy for adminustators, teachers, students, and community.
I am not at all surprised at this news.
I am a city resident asking where is Dr. Nicole Williams, the the interim Superintendent that held everything down after Dr. Adams left and I hope the School Board gets called to the principal’s office too?
Well, if parents and supports of the SLPS would attend meetings on the regular you would be able to see some of this dysfunction. Their board meetings are on YouTube, but no one even goes there to see what was said. I can see why parents who can are leaving the city. Poor reading skills an lousy student behavior. Pretty soon even teachers are not going to want to come to work They already make sure their kids go to county schools.
And where was this paper and your reporting while all this was going on. This not the paper of the 80’s
Actually there are a lot of us that do watch the meetings but the real problem is why are the meeting not sent directly to the parents of the district in the first place.
Some of our parents have phones, we can spend time visiting parents in the district wherever it is they lay their heads. We can also play a bigger role and holding accountable our current community leaders support the largest school district in St. Louis. Mayor Jones herself is a firm supporter of charter schools and her audit of the district should come with oversight.
100%.
Our family lived in Seattle for the past few years. I can testify that Seattle Public Schools is also being ran into the ground. Overspending, DEI over core studies, and favors for friends run rapid. Do better STL!