Classes have been back in session for over a week now in St. Louis Public Schools, and leaders say they plan to address safety concerns surrounding transportation later this week.
Leaders in recent months have been scrambling to find sufficient transportation to and from school for students after the district’s previous vendor, the Missouri School Bus Co., canceled its contract early, leaving thousands of kids without a ride ahead of the school year starting on Aug. 19.
The district has gotten creative by placing kids in taxis with decals and identifier numbers, providing gas cards to parents and bus passes for Metro Transit as a means to get kids to school. Vendors like First Student provided over a dozen yellow school buses, but others like Xtra Care Services pulled out several of its buses just before school began, leaving the district in yet another tight spot.
Some parents have banded together to carpool, while others rely on the district for help.
Since classes resumed, there have been several public complaints about vendors running red lights, expired license plates and kids arriving late to school.
Square Watson, the district’s chief operations officer, addressed some of those concerns during a school board meeting Tuesday evening.
“We do plan on meeting with those alternative vendors on this Friday, just in regard to on-time performance, reiterating safety and just some of the protocols when it comes to driving our scholars to school,” Watson said. He stopped short of addressing concerns about expired license plates some of the vendors have, as well as concerns about the district’s vetting process.
Despite those concerns, district leaders said Tuesday that student attendance was 88% of the district’s projected enrollment on Monday — the first increase the district has seen in years.
Regarding staff turnover, school board leaders considered a proposal to hire a part-time consultant to assist acting Superintendent Millicent Borishade with her duties, for improved operational efficiency and better compliance with statutory requirements.
If approved, Joylynn Pruitt-Adams, retired superintendent of Riverview Gardens School District, would serve as Borishade’s assistant for six months starting in September. Her salary would cost the school district about $40,000. Board leaders say they're also working to hire support for the district’s financial executives.
“It’s obvious that Dr. Borishade is dealing with a handicap in regards to staff right now,” said Board of Education President Antionette “Toni” Cousins. “This is a new territory for her. I think she's doing a great job, but the expertise and experience that Dr. Pruitt-Adams has, based on what we have been presented with, she will be providing about five to six hours a week of support to Dr. Borishade.”
Superintendent Keisha Scarlett was placed on a temporary leave of absence in late July, pending an investigation into her hiring practices. The Missouri state auditor opened an investigation into the district’s finances and general operations after concerns about a projected $35 million deficit arose this summer.
Cousins said that if approved, Adams would serve in the role where needed while Borishade remains interim superintendent. According to board leaders, Pruitt-Adams has been working as an executive coach for the Missouri Association School Administrators Superintendent Coaching Program. Plus, the Missouri School Board Association recommended that she be hired to support Borishade.
In addition, SLPS officials said Tuesday that Director of Communications George Sells is no longer with the district and that Brand Strategy Manager Carl Mitchell is temporarily overseeing district communications.
