ST. LOUIS 鈥 Missouri Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick will visit the city Thursday to 鈥渞espond to the mounting requests鈥 for an audit of 狐狸视频 Public Schools.
狐狸视频 Mayor Tishaura O. Jones last week called on Fitzpatrick to audit the SLPS administration and school board after the superintendent was placed on leave over flagrant hiring and spending practices.
During Keisha Scarlett鈥檚 yearlong stint as superintendent, the district鈥檚 general operating budget plunged from a surplus of $17 million to a projected deficit of $35 million, in part because of additional spending on staff pay raises and transportation. The district also brought in more than 20 new administrators and consultants with connections to Scarlett and her last employer, Seattle Public Schools.
The school board placed Scarlett on temporary leave July 25 and replaced her with Millicent Borishade, the deputy superintendent and one of her first hires and closest friends. Borishade does not have a Missouri superintendent鈥檚 certificate and received a vote of no confidence from teachers in her last school district outside Seattle.
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Meanwhile, families are still unclear about the transportation plan for the first day of school Aug. 19 because of a critical bus shortage. A community meeting will be held Tuesday at Vashon High School for families to meet the district鈥檚 new transportation vendors, which include taxi and rideshare companies. About 1,700 high school students will be given MetroBus passes.
The district is encouraging families to opt out of transportation, and the SLPS parent action council this week started a Facebook group to coordinate carpools.
The plan for before and after school care is also in flux, with little information about availability and cost at each elementary school. Last year, the child care programs were paid through pandemic relief funds, which had to be allocated by September.