JEFFERSON CITY — A member of the State Board of Education moved to downgrade St. Louis Public Schools to provisional accreditation, citing concerns about the academics and finances of the 16,000-student district.

“I’m very concerned about the failures of (SLPS),” said Kerry Casey of Chesterfield at the board’s meeting Tuesday. “Hardly a day that goes by that we’re not reminded of it.”

The school district faces scrutiny including a state audit of their operations under ex-Superintendent Keisha Scarlett, including a projected operating deficit of $35 million, a severe transportation shortage and low student proficiency in English and math.

Missouri Commissioner of Education Karla Eslinger speaks during a hearing.

Based on department policy, the state education board cannot lower the accreditation status for school districts before January 2027. The delay spared 50 districts including SLPS from a downgrade to provisional accreditation, which triggers extra state oversight.

People are also reading…

Casey said the state should be able to make exceptions for struggling districts and that waiting two more years was “borderline negligent.” Casey’s motion Tuesday to place SLPS in provisional accreditation was not supported by the other board members.

Carl B. Mitchell, a spokesman for SLPS, said Tuesday the district “remains steadfast in its commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students. We are focused on continuous improvement, ensuring every student has access to the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.”

The state board is expected to receive a progress update on SLPS at its March meeting.

“The department is very concerned with what’s going on in SLPS and every day that our schoolchildren are not getting what they need from their school system is a day too many,” said Karla Eslinger, Missouri education commissioner, at the meeting.

The state education department has sent staffers to SLPS this fall to monitor academics, finances, compliance and leadership, Eslinger said.

Eslinger said there are other districts with similar problems that don’t receive the same media coverage compared to SLPS.

The board’s president, Charlie Shields, said the state needs to reevaluate its accreditation process and the lack of improvements in districts that are provisionally accredited, which includes Normandy and Riverview Gardens.

“We can have a more robust accreditation process but it would require additional resources,” Shields said. “The remedies available in the past have not been particularly helpful in getting schools back to where they need to be.”

Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick announced a plan to audit the St. Louis Public School system following increased concerns over finances, curriculum and busing in the district on Aug. 8, 2024.

Want to see more like this?

Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox.