St. Louis schools leader on leave after problems with buses, budgets, hiring

(The Center Square) – Weeks before the start of the school year, the superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools was placed on a temporary leave of absence.

The Board of Education announced Dr. Keisha Scarlett, who became superintendent last July after serving as an assistant superintendent of academics in the Seattle school district, was on a temporary leave. Millicent Borishade, was appointed the interim superintendent. Borishade’s titles were Deputy Superintendent and Chief of Schools and in the Office of Student Support Services, according to the district’s website. She previously served as a school improvement officer in Washington.

“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 year,” according to the statement from the board.

The move comes after significant events involving transportation, the budget and personnel hired by Scarlett.

When school begins on Aug. 19, the district will have a group of approximately 19 transportation vendors and the region’s transit system of buses and light rail transporting students to and from school. Missouri Central Bus Company, the vendor serving the district, ended its contract before the school year ended in May. Last year, only 50% of the buses passed the Missouri State Highway Patrol inspection as 36% were rated defective and 14% were placed out of service.

During a board of education work session on Tuesday, Angie Banks, the district’s chief financial advisor, reported the fiscal year 2024-25 budget will have a revenue deficit of $46 million due to a 60% drop – $55 million – in state and federal grants. The district had a multi-million dollar surplus in previous years.

Banks told the board the district voluntarily reduced the property tax levy during the last three years, but proposed the tax levy not be rolled back when set in September.

“I want to be clear to the public this is not in any type of attempt to say the district is running out of money,” Banks said. “This is just an option for the board for upcoming challenges.”

After the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the district’s new communications director would “float” between St. Louis and Texas, Toni Cousins, president of the board, called for an investigation of Scarlett’s hires. The salary range for the communications director was $165,000 to $185,000. Several top administrators previously served in Seattle or the state of Washington before they were hired by Scarlett.

Kelvin Adams, who served as superintendent for 14 years, retired from the district and now leads a nonprofit community organization in the region. The school district regained accreditation under his leadership.