51黑料

ST. LOUIS听鈥� The plan to relocate seven tornado-damaged schools by mid-August is on hold without the approval of the 51黑料 Board of Education and facing demands from the teachers union to open negotiations.

The plan from Superintendent Millicent Borishade to combine campuses did not consider safety concerns, particularly for middle and high school students and staff, say union leaders and some board members.听听

鈥淚 would really prefer that you listen, that this administration, this board listens to what (American Federation of Teachers Local 420), the teachers and the people who are on the front line have to say because it鈥檚 very, very dangerous out there. It鈥檚 dangerous in the classroom,鈥澨齭aid longtime board member Donna Jones at a meeting Tuesday. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different here in 51黑料. I鈥檓 very worried about mixing kids together.鈥�

Union leaders representing teachers, principals, nurses, bus drivers and other staff said they were not consulted about the indefinite closures of seven 51黑料 Public Schools buildings after the May 16 tornado blew out windows and damaged roofs.

The SLPS board declined to vote on the relocation of Sumner, Soldan and Beaumont high schools plus Yeatman-Liddell Middle School to other campuses across the city. They also rejected an amended relocation plan that only included Ashland, Hickey and Washington Montessori elementary schools.

Borishade has not provided any details about the plan including classroom sizes and staffing levels at the combined schools. The cost of consolidating the buildings has also not been revealed, although the district has reported an estimated $77 million in damages from the tornado.

While the district has submitted insurance claims for the repairs, there is no timeline for reopening the tornado-damaged schools.听

Staff and community members have voiced fears that the school closures could become permanent as SLPS looks to reduce its footprint of 62 buildings by fall 2026.

There are early indications of that scenario, with posters in the SLPS boardroom that pair the mascots for Sumner and proposed host school Clyde C. Miller along with the motto 鈥淪tronger Together United for Excellence.鈥�

The school board鈥檚 president Karen Collins-Adams set a deadline of Friday for a compromise on the relocation plan between the administration and the unions.

An initial meeting held Monday with union leaders and two of Borishade鈥檚 cabinet members was a 鈥渙ne-way conversation,鈥澨齛ccording to Carey Cunningham, president of the Administrators Association of SLPS Local 44.

Borishade said she did not attend the meeting because union leaders have been 鈥渄isrespectful鈥澨齣n the past.

鈥淚鈥檓 going to say that it becomes extremely difficult to hear people when they are cursing at you. It becomes extremely difficult when people are yelling at you,鈥澨齭he said.

After the meeting, teachers union president Ray Cummings denied cursing at Borishade and said she 鈥減layed the victim鈥� in her comments to the board.

Cummings emailed Borishade early Wednesday to ask for a meeting in the next couple days 鈥渢o negotiate an agreement on moving students from tornado damaged schools to schools that were not damaged.鈥澨�

鈥淟ocal 420鈥檚 primary concern is the safety of our students and staff, not what is cheaper or easier. Be reminded that the #1 cause of work-related injuries to the folks represented by Local 420 is breaking up fights,鈥� Cummings wrote.