Voters will take to the polls on April 8 to vote for three members of the St. Louis Public Schools Board of Education after Vice President Matt Davis and board member Natalie Vowell announced they would not seek another term. Board President Toni Cousins is running to defend her seat.
The newly elected leaders will join current board members Emily Hubbard, Donna Jones, Tracy Hykes and Ben Conover.
Conover was sworn in as a board member last month after former member Sadie Weiss resigned in January, citing concerns over ethics and the lack of transparency around board finances.
The board is tasked with providing governance over one of the largest public school districts in the region, with over 16,500 students enrolled, according to the Department of Secondary and Elementary Education.
Two of the board’s main functions are supervising Superintendent Millicent Borishade and monitoring the district’s finances. According to the current board, the district is in strong financial health, with roughly $200 million in reserves. Missouri law requires that all school districts have at least 3% in reserves for total operating expenses.
St. Louis Public Radio spoke with 11 of the 12 candidates running for the SLPS Board of Education about why they’re running and key issues facing the district.
The Candidates
Allisa ‘AJ’ Foster
AJ Foster is a St. Louis native who graduated from SLPS in 2016. She works at a non-profit called Digital Promise, which helps school districts research, vet and negotiate contracts with education technology companies.
Foster said she hopes to bring her experience working at the intersection of school districts and ed-tech companies to her role as a board member if elected.
“I think there's a very strong need to reevaluate how we procure contracts here at the district and what we're looking for inside of our contracts,” Foster said.
She decided to run for the school board during the Opportunity Trust’s School Board Fellowship last summer. She said it provided her training on the role and responsibilities of a school board. She was not paid for the fellowship but understands the skepticism some people have of the organization itself.
Foster said the fellows were offered to join boards for various charter schools in the city, but she decided to pursue a seat on the SLPS school board instead.
“I want to run for an elected school board because I truly believe in democracy,” Foster said. “I believe that you should only govern a school if the community wants you there, and they have decided to choose you to govern their school district.”
As the youngest candidate, Foster believes she brings a much-needed perspective to board governance.
“I think because I am close in age with current students who are matriculating out and graduating from SLPS. It's easy for me to advocate for them,” Foster said. “I love our district, and I respect our school board members. I just know that there is a need for a different kind of voice, a different kind of demographic on that board and I'm ready to step up.”
You can read more about Foster on her campaign website.
David Lee Jackson Jr.
David Jackson formerly served on the SLPS Board of Education from 2007 to 2015 when the district was under the Special Administrative Board. He’s a graduate of SLPS and the owner of DLJ Construction. All five of his children graduated from the district.
Jackson is a vocal critic of SLPS, claiming it’s a “failing district.” SLPS is currently accredited according to DESE.
He applauded the district for being on sound financial footing but said he’s deeply concerned about the transportation challenges the schools have faced this year. SLPS announced last month that they had secured a school transportation vendor for the 2025-2026 school year but were still working on finalizing bus routes.
Jackson said he hopes to bring his previous experience as an elected member of the Board to this new group of leaders to get the district back on track.
“I’m committed to learning our kids, and when I say committed, that means to make every possible decision toward the learning of that child,” Jackson said.
Karen Collins-Adams
Karen Collins-Adams heads the Rising Teachers program at St. Louis University. She is a long-time school administrator and has served as principal in the Hazelwood School District and the Director of Student Support Services for Normandy Schools Collaborative. She is also married to former SLPS superintendent Kelvin Adams, who led the district from 2009-2023.
Collins-Adams said she believes the board needs an experienced educator who understands the ins and outs of the system — from policy and finance to curriculum and navigating parent engagement.
“If you have a good, solid school system, you have an advantage in your community because you're educating the children that are going to actually take care of you when you get older,” Collins-Adams said.
A cornerstone of Collins-Adams’ career has been a focus on students with disabilities and making sure students with individualized education plans (IEPs) were getting the best education possible. She has multiple post-secondary degrees in special education and has worked as a special education coordinator in New Orleans.
She believes that there is room for improvement when it comes to how students with IEPs receive services.
“Providing the services in a timely manner is where we have difficulty,” Collins-Adams said. “We can improve in that area all across this country. That's not unique to the St. Louis Public Schools.”
You can read more about Collins-Adams on campaign website.
Brian Marston
Brian Marston is a senior web developer and strategist at Washington University and has two children enrolled in SLPS.
He was also formerly the director of North St. Louis Youth Build in the Hyde Park neighborhood — a program dedicated to helping students who had dropped out of high school develop their hands-on skills in construction and earn their high school graduate degrees.
Marston said he wanted to run for the Board of Education to give back to the city he calls home. He hopes to bring a spirit of collaboration to the board and rebuild trust with the community, which he feels may have been lost since an internal audit of the district’s finances was released last fall.
“My approach is that information wants to be free, and I think the best decisions are made when all of the people involved and all the stakeholders have access to all of the information,” Marston said. He said he would commit to ensuring meeting minutes are posted consistently for the public to view and increase community engagement.
He also believes that the board must govern equitably — ensuring that all district students have access to the resources they need to learn.
“There are students at some schools in the district that have access to a lot of resources, and at other schools, the students don't have those same resources, so for really every decision that the board makes that needs to be done through the lens of equity,” Marston said.
You can read more about Marston at his campaign website.
Teri Powers
Teri Powers is a retired clinical social worker and a graduate of SLPS. She formerly served as a Democratic committee member for the 24th ward and ran an unsuccessful campaign for alderwoman in the same ward in 2019. Her children also graduated from SLPS.
She’s a big advocate for neighborhood schools and rails against what she calls the “privatization of schools,” which generally refers to the expansion of charter schools in the city.
Powers said she is for educating the “whole child,” meaning the social and emotional well-being of a student is just as important as academic progress. She believes that more investment in neighborhood schools would help foster better outcomes for the city’s students.
“I want to see a lot of things improve,” Powers said. “You know, buzz words politically have been accountability and transparency, and everywhere I look politically, I see it lacking.”
She also wants to bring back a feeling of collegiality to the board and vows to work together with all seven members.
“I care about this city. I always have,” Powers said. “I would do my best to dialog with anyone who wants to have a conversation and see if we can come to a meeting of minds.”
Antionette ‘Toni’ Cousins
Toni Cousins is the president of the SLPS Board of Education. She was elected to the board in 2021 and is a graduate of SLPS. Cousins did not respond to multiple requests for an interview.
As a native St. Louisan, she has spent decades in real estate development, primarily in North St. Louis. She has worked to bring more affordable housing to some of the city’s disenfranchised neighborhoods.
She most recently served as the chair of the real estate committee for the board, which is tasked with managing and selling the district’s vacant properties.
In recent months, Cousins has faced criticism for her relationship with former superintendent Keisha Scarlett and now Superintendent Borishade.
She is the daughter of Alderwoman Pam Boyd.
William ‘Bill’ Monroe Jr.
Bill Monroe is a lifelong St. Louis resident, retired police officer and former SLPS Board of Education member. He served from 2013-2017 when the district was under the control of the Special Administrative Board.
Monroe was banned in October of last year for six months from attending any board meetings after an altercation during a public meeting, according to a letter sent to him by Mickes O’Toole LLC, a law firm representing the board.
Monroe is known to criticize the board and the district for failing to protect students and teachers during the shooting, which occurred in 2022 at the Central Visual and Performing Arts High School. A 19-year-old gunman killed a student and a teacher.
District officials maintain that they did their best to protect students and offer mental health support in the years after.
Monroe is also deeply concerned about students experiencing homelessness in St. Louis. The district estimates that somewhere between 20% to 30% of students are experiencing some degree of housing insecurity.
He has proposed to open what he calls the Harriet Tubman Preparatory High School and Career Center in some of the vacant buildings in the district to serve as both dormitories and learning centers for students. He has never received board support for his proposal.
Tavon Brooks
Tavon Brooks is a real estate agent and works on violence prevention initiatives with Mission STL, a nonprofit that addresses poverty in St. Louis.
He did not attend SLPS but spent much of his educational career in Israel. Brooks said that his son is not enrolled in SLPS and attends a charter school in the city.
Brooks believes there needs to be a community-centered approach to a student’s learning, something he saw during his time in Israel.
“Living abroad showed me that we can do things with a little bit more compassion and organization and just community involved.”
Brooks said he wants to bring more accountability to the board but didn’t elaborate on how he would do so. He said he would also help foster an environment to encourage more family engagement.
You can read more about Brooks on his campaign website.
Zachariah ‘Zach’ Davis
Zach Davis is a long-time social studies teacher and pastor who has worked in both St. Louis and Cincinnati. He is currently a social studies teacher at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School. He also worked as a social studies teacher for SLPS from 2012 to 2018, primarily at Roosevelt High School in the Tower Grove East neighborhood.
He is running as a member of The Slate, a group of three candidates who vow to bring change to the school district. The Slate has been endorsed by the local advocacy group Coalition with STL Kids, led by local organizer Chester Asher. Asher has ties to the Opportunity Trust.
Davis’s daughter graduated from SLPS in 2022, and he said his family plans to enroll his granddaughter in the district next school year.
He believes his first-hand experience as a teacher is critical for the Board as he aims to keep teachers and students at the forefront of any decisions.
“I'm going into the classroom, I'm teaching on a consistent basis, and I am well equipped with understanding both the wonders and the woes of being an educator,” Davis said. “ I think because of that vantage point, I offer a unique perspective that would be different from any other Board member.”
Despite teaching at a private school, Davis said he’s an advocate for public schools.
“I have taught in so many different educational environments,” Davis said. “I think it just broadens my perspective in how I see public education even though I am teaching in a private institution.”
He said he would strive to work collaboratively with the Board to bring solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing the district, including finances, academic performance and transportation.
You can read more about Davis on his campaign website.
Krystal Barnett
Krystal Barnett is the founder and CEO of Bridge 2 Hope, a nonprofit organization that trains parents to advocate for their children at school. The organization is funded by The Opportunity Trust.
She is also one of three members of The Slate, backed by the Coalition with STL Kids.
Barnett is a lifelong resident of St. Louis, attending SLPS until 3rd grade, but participated in the desegregation program that allowed her to attend school in St. Louis County.
Her daughter attended SLPS for just under two years, but Barnett felt like her needs weren’t being met, so she eventually enrolled her at the Northside Community School, a charter school in the city.
Barnett said that her experience of navigating the education system in St. Louis inspired her to help other parents facing similar challenges. She’s spent years on the advocacy side but said she’s ready to help make change through governance.
“Things can change if we [are] consistent. If we set real goals, if we hold ourselves accountable, if we equip our superintendents and do proper governance, set up guidelines for the district to then move in the direction of success,” Barnett said.
When asked how she would balance her advocacy work with Bridge2Hope and her responsibilities with the Board, Barnett said she sees the two working together.
“There's going to be the work of the Board, which is to govern the district. The work of Bridge2Hope is community work,” Barnett said. “I believe in rebuilding community trust and making sure that people are like partners and collaborators.” You can read more about Barnett at her campaign website.
Andre D. Walker
Andre Walker is an investment advisor and owner of Walker Wealth Management. He’s lived in St. Louis for 20 years and his children have attended private schools.
Walker is the third member of The Slate, a trio of candidates backed by The Coalition with STL Kids.
Walker never envisioned himself in public service, but felt compelled to run for the school board after learning about some of the district’s financial challenges. He hopes to bring his experience with money management to help the board provide thorough oversight of the district’s finances.
Walker said he was also drawn to run for the Board because he noticed something that troubled him during college tours with his son — he didn’t see many male African American students on the campuses.
“It starts at the elementary school level and at the high school level, and it starts with that culture. So I want to do something to help, and I think my expertise can help with that.”
Walker sees the investment in SLPS as an investment in the students, but he believes the investment reaches beyond the classroom.
He says that if the school system can be turned around, then it directly impacts real estate values, which ultimately helps draw residents to a city that has long seen a population decline.
Robert Mason
Robert Mason is CEO of DoubleWolf Enterprises, a real estate development company in St. Louis.
In a statement to STLPR, he said he is no longer seeking a seat on the Board. However, his name will still appear on the ballot because he missed a deadline to withdraw from the race.
Key Issues
School Closures
SLPS continues to face a decline in student population, with a loss of 5,200 students since 2017, according to DESE. There are over 60 schools in SLPS, many of which are in buildings that require significant repair.
According to Cordogan, Clark & Associates, an architecture firm evaluating all of the school buildings, it would cost the district nearly $1.8 billion over the next 20 years to maintain and repair them all — money the district does not have.
District officials decided not to close any schools this year and have not shared a timeline about the next steps, so it will be a key issue the next school board will have to tackle.
Most candidates agreed that school closures are a painful but inevitable reality for the district.
“It doesn't make sense to operate buildings and to pay for buildings and pay for the infrastructure of buildings and the upkeep of buildings when we don't have students, staff or teachers there,” Foster said.
Collins-Adams said she would like to see some of the buildings repurposed into learning or technical centers for students, but if the building is in bad enough condition, she believes it would be best to part ways.
“We have to advance. So, what would it take to advance our community? Do we really want to stay where we are, or do we want to get better? And that's a hard decision everyone would have to make, including the people that live in that neighborhood, that want to hold onto their history,” Collins-Adams said.
Supporting Teachers
There was no disagreement among candidates about the district’s teachers: they were doing their best to educate and support students with limited resources.
“My experience as a parent in SLPS has been that so many of the teachers are doing a phenomenal job, no matter what's going on at the administration level or what's going on downtown,” Marston said.
All of the candidates agreed that teacher salaries need to be increased to recruit and retain more teachers — something the district, much like the rest of the nation, has struggled to do.
“You don't know how many teachers, including myself, in times past, have had to work two and sometimes three jobs. That's really disheartening,” Davis said. “So you see a lot of teachers leaving public school districts and going elsewhere because they're being offered substantially more than where they're working.”
Davis said he’d like to see teachers’ salaries increase to at least $60,000 but did not specify how the district could make that happen.
District Leadership
SLPS has seen significant leadership turnover in the last year after the Board fired former superintendent Keisha Scarlett for allegedly misusing district funds and violating hiring policies. The Board also terminated contracts for Scarlett’s cabinet-level employees, leaving vacancies in critical positions.
Scarlett has denied any wrongdoing.
Borishade was tapped to serve in an interim capacity until the Board installed her as the permanent superintendent in February. The Board confirmed they did not conduct a national search and felt confident in Borishade’s ability to lead the district.
Some candidates questioned why Borishade was allowed to lead the district since Scarlett hired her during her 14-month tenure. However, there was a consensus that they would do what’s best to support district leadership.
Barnett said it’s not the Board’s job to be involved in the district’s day-to-day operations.
“Our role is to set up the structures and guidelines for the people that are [already] doing the great work, [so that they] can do it to the best of their ability, but also to lean in with superintendents to really create space for them to be [provide] proper governance over principals, to set real goals in our district towards literacy, to make sure our staff is supported in ways where they can do whatever innovative things they need to,” Barnett said.
Editor’s Note: The Opportunity Trust is a financial supporter of St. Louis Public Radio. STLPR is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations by members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in STLPR's journalism.
