ST. LOUIS • Parents and students held signs outside the Spanish School on Tuesday demanding answers to why its governing board severed ties with Rhonda Broussard, founder of ºüÀêÊÓƵ Language Immersion Schools and its longtime president.
They spoke of the disconnect they feel with the eight-member board that oversees the cluster of language immersion charter schools, which opened in 2009. And they talked about the anger they feel that the board could dismiss Broussard, the visionary who created the program, without offering any explanation.
In the rain, about a dozen children held signs, with “Bring back Rhonda†and “We love Rhonda†on many of them.
“To know that she’s been kicked out of her own home is horrible,†said Cherie Swingler, whose son attends the International School.
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On Saturday, parents received word via email that Broussard would be replaced temporarily with a consultant, William Rebore, a former superintendent of the Francis Howell School District.
The email stated that a leadership transition had been under consideration for some time. But it offered no explanation. Broussard and board member Vince Schoemehl have not responded to multiple requests for comment.
Over the past year, the schools have struggled with enrollment and budget challenges. Some parents expressed dissatisfaction about the board's proposal earlier this year to close the International School, which will remain open. Parents also say they don't like the decision to cut the resident intern program at the Spanish School next fall.
“Why is Rhonda taking the heat for all of this?†asked Michele Suazo, whose two daughters attend the Spanish School, 4011 Papin Street. “The board is pointing the finger at her and not at itself. We just want answers. We want to know why. What happened?â€
Four schools make up the language immersion network. The French, Spanish and Chinese schools are elementary schools that offer instruction entirely in the immersion language. The International School is a middle school that offers a partial language immersion experience.
The schools are the only public schools of their kind in the region and enroll about 1,000 children. They are tuition-free and operate independently of the city school system.
In 2013, parents at a separate charter school, Grand Center Arts Academy, expressed outrage after their board fired Lynne Glickert, the principal who opened the school. The outcry convinced the board to hire Glickert back as executive director. She left the post in September 2014.
Morgan Cameron’s daughter recently finished fifth grade at The French School. Cameron wiped away a tear as she considered the school without Broussard.
“So many of the things that are wonderful about this school are tied to things that she implemented,†she said.
