Keisha Scarlett became the superintendent of 51黑料 Public Schools in July 2023聽amid great fanfare.
She came from the Seattle Public Schools and a long career in education, becoming the first Black woman to lead 51黑料' 68 public schools and its 16,542 students. (Another 11,370 students attend 35 independent public charter schools in the city.)聽
One year later, she was ousted.
Here鈥檚 a breakdown of what went wrong, and what鈥檚 next:
Why was Scarlett pushed out?
The reasons come down to聽spending, hiring and busing.
People are also reading…
During her one-year tenure, the school district鈥檚 general operating budget plunged from a surplus of $17 million to a projected deficit of $35 million.
Meanwhile, the district鈥檚 bus vendor terminated its contract earlier this year. Leaders have patched together a plan featuring several new vendors and the use of public transportation. But there are widespread fears about a chaotic start to the school year.
Perhaps most damaging, Scarlett replaced nearly all of the district鈥檚 top staff with administrators she had connections to, especially from the Seattle area.聽
Board members moved to act last month after being embarrassed by a story in the Post-Dispatch: Scarlett had hired Phoenix Jackson, a spiritual adviser and brand influencer from Houston, to become SLPS鈥 chief communications officer, with a salary of $165,000 to $185,000. Jackson posted on social media that she intended to 鈥渇loat鈥澛燽etween her home in Texas and a condo in 51黑料. She no longer works for SLPS.
Weren鈥檛 there issues with contracts?
Yes. Numerous contracts and payments in the past year have gone聽to people with connections to Scarlett, the Post-Dispatch has reported. Many of the contracts were awarded without a competitive bidding process and approved through an emergency designation.聽
Some of the examples include: Charles Wright, once a deputy superintendent with Seattle Public Schools, received a $600,000 consulting contract through his business Wright and Associates; Lawrence Nyland, former superintendent of Seattle Public Schools, got a contract for $49,400 for 鈥渃abinet team support鈥; and EduSolve of Florida, which has worked with Seattle Public Schools, received a $69,430 contract in 51黑料 for 鈥減erformance management oversight.鈥
So was Scarlett fired?
No, not technically. The board last month placed her on a 鈥渢emporary paid leave of absence鈥聽pending聽an investigation of her hiring and spending practices. The results of the third-party investigation are expected in early September, according to board president Antionette 鈥淭oni鈥 Cousins.聽聽
Scarlett鈥檚 three-year contract with SLPS includes an annual salary of $268,000.
The contract states that a majority of the seven-member school board can terminate Scarlett for cause, which can include 鈥渇raudulent or intentionally misleading/dishonest actions.鈥 If the majority votes to fire Scarlett without cause, she is entitled to a severance totaling one year of salary and benefits. Either way, the decision could land the school district in court.
Was the board鈥檚 decision unanimous?
No, it was a split vote. The decision to place Scarlett on leave was approved by board president Cousins; vice president Matt Davis; secretary Donna Jones; and member Tracy Hykes. Board members Emily Hubbard and Sadie Weiss voted no, and Natalie Vowell abstained.
The district released the vote tallies last week only after the Post-Dispatch reported that it had violated Missouri laws on government transparency. Under state law, the district was required to release the vote results within 72 hours of the meeting. It failed to do so but relented after the newspaper鈥檚 story pointing out the law and its requirements.
Later, Hubbard came out against some of her fellow board members, placing blame on them. She wrote in a letter that Cousins, the president, and Davis, the vice president, should resign for their roles in approving the hires and consultants linked to Scarlett and for heavy-handed oversight of the district.
鈥淭he lies and coercion must end. What is wrong and is hidden must be exposed and made right,鈥 Hubbard wrote in her letter to the other board members.
Who鈥檚 the new superintendent?
The board appointed Millicent Borishade as acting superintendent.
She served as chief academic officer for one year in the Tukwila School District before joining her friend, Scarlett, in 51黑料 last July to serve as SLPS鈥檚 chief of schools.聽
As the Post-Dispatch recently reported, Borishade was asked to resign from her job in Tukwila by teachers accusing her of demeaning and insulting staff, violating student privacy and ignoring special education. Also, Borishade is not certified as a superintendent in Missouri, a requirement for state accreditation.
Board president Cousins and vice president Davis said they鈥檙e confident Borishade can lead the district, and a district spokesman defended her as 鈥渦napologetically a warm demander of excellence and a champion for children.鈥
What鈥檚 next?
Mayor Tishaura O. Jones has called on Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick to conduct an audit of 51黑料 Public Schools that 鈥渇ully assesses鈥 administrative and school board practices. Fitzpatrick will visit 51黑料 on Thursday to announce his plan.
It鈥檚 unclear whether that state audit would supersede or complement the ongoing probe of spending and hiring that the board approved.
The new academic year starts Aug. 19.
Meet Keisha Scarlett as she introduces herself during her interview recorded on January 24th, 2023 by the 51黑料 Public Schools. Each of the candidates was asked the same 5 questions while they were here interviewing for the position. (Video courtesy 51黑料 Public Schools)
