Mayor Tishaura O. Jones embraces Keisha Scarlett, right, before her induction as the 35th superintendent of 51黑料 Public Schools on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at Carr Lane Visual and Performing Arts Middle School at the 1000 block of North Jefferson in 51黑料.
ST. LOUIS 鈥 Mayor Tishaura O. Jones sent a letter offering assistance to 51黑料 Public Schools leaders after the superintendent was forced out and in the face of a looming bus shortage just three weeks before school starts.
鈥淭he problems facing SLPS require dramatically increased collaboration with nonprofits, philanthropic organizations, and other governmental bodies,鈥 Jones wrote Friday after the school board placed Superintendent Keisha Scarlett on a temporary leave of absence while they launch an investigation of her hiring and spending practices.
During Scarlett鈥檚 yearlong stint as superintendent, the school district鈥檚 general operating budget plunged from a surplus of $17 million to a projected deficit of $35 million. Adding to the pressure, the main school bus contractor terminated its agreement with the district this summer. District leaders cobbled together 19 different vendors but still won鈥檛 be able to provide rides to all students.
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鈥淭he Mayor鈥檚 Office stands ready to work with SLPS to address these transportation challenges,鈥 Jones wrote, adding that the school district鈥檚 policies on partnerships have 鈥渉ampered鈥 community engagement.
Jones also called on the district to restart weekly meetings between the superintendent and the mayor鈥檚 staff, which ended in July 2023 when Scarlett joined SLPS.
In an interview on Saturday, Toni Cousins, the president of the 51黑料 Board of Education, and Matt Davis, the vice president, said they planned to discuss a possible response to the mayor with the rest of the board.
The SLPS board has come under scrutiny for its oversight of the district鈥檚 hiring process after approving more than 20 new administrators and consultants that had prior connections to Scarlett. The superintendent was replaced on an interim basis by her deputy Millicent Borishade, one of Scarlett鈥檚 first hires and closest friends.
Borishade, who does not have a Missouri superintendent鈥檚 certificate, has already been running the daily operations of the school district, the board leaders said.
鈥淭he board has voted, and we have confidence she is the person to get it done,鈥 Cousins said.
In the past year, the district paid out at least $1.4 million to consultants in Scarlett鈥檚 personal and professional circles, mostly overlapping with her previous employer, Seattle Public Schools.
Under SLPS policy, payouts of less than $50,000 did not require board approval and were granted to Scarlett鈥檚 former colleagues for services including 鈥渇low analysis,鈥 鈥渃abinet team support鈥 and 鈥渞esearcher of best practices to advise,鈥 according to the district鈥檚 financial records.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 aware of those,鈥 Davis said, adding that the school board will consider lowering the $50,000 threshold as a check on spending.
The board will also reevaluate its $80,000 contract with Iowa-based executive search firm Ray and Associates, which was awarded in January without a competitive bidding process. Current and former SLPS staff members said several of the new administrators did not go through the typical hiring process, including interviews.
The school board leaders said they are not tasked with micromanaging the superintendent or the human resources department.
鈥淵ou have to give a level of trust to the people you put in those positions,鈥 Davis said.
Cousins said the board moved quickly to remove Scarlett in a decision that came one week after new communications director Phoenix Jackson made headlines by saying she planned to 鈥渇loat鈥 between her family home in Houston and a condo in 51黑料.
鈥淚f we were not being accountable, we would have continued to let these things go on,鈥 Cousins said. 鈥淥nce we saw the signs, we鈥檙e trying to do our best to get it right.鈥
School staff hope Scarlett鈥檚 abrupt departure does not usher in a repeat of the early 2000s, when the district became infamous for cycling through six superintendents in five years.
鈥淥ur main focus right now is making sure that we are going to have the schools ready, transportation ready, before and after care ready for these children,鈥 Cousins said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e got 22 days.鈥
Superintendent Keisha Scarlett of 51黑料 Public Schools announces a new union contract for teachers in the district including 17% raises over three years. Scarlett held a press conference at SLPS on Wednesday, March 6, 2024.
