[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6206972,"mediaKeyId","3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3","parentId",3759926,"title","Public commenters urge SLPS to reuse vacant schools, expand swim lessons and support summer services after tornado","audioSeconds",402,"startMs",3979000,"endMs",4381000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3&start=3979&end=4381","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3/thumbnail_3979000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6206972/Missouri/Public-commenters-urge-SLPS-to-reuse-vacant-schools-expand-swim-lessons-and-support-summer-services-after-tornado","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206972-04f807507bc87ae3ecb82d800ee0535d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770903108&Signature=HsyDKMR5xt~jgLqS7qRYyiDwmWxH7w3mevMuYvODS3SQf3SF7DPoYUn5~DrIy5tQuMXl9nCMPZVHJ64CgonM2buDrQybTzTEAroUxnDQkgtCkckBDwn5n9L89xd9JgNuVTnW-Scr08jd614EPae1f2JsmAMryV3xwYtvy0i-KoVDH3gSDN09ClkhWjp~-dXF4F5aGIMM0oQCH4syc4gyveQPt8o7rv~UBm6dkeSGKJGiJqOwMPF2-nTUHHzFazoJzs~E~82kvrmdFwLOAQea7hZdfbD8vnvSfqyKNfV8cvF1nH4Hk55eZvUiXoeCiF1kioEGrqMjFLveTCUqv6mi8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-06-11T08:38:56.703Z","article","Several community members used the June 10 public-comment period to press the board on community services and neighborhood recovery after the May 16 tornado.

William Monroe told the board he purchased a 13-passenger bus to transport children and asked the district to support his project, saying he bought and retrofitted the vehicle to offer safer transportation. Greg Mitchell urged the board to take a leadership role on vacant schools and school reuse, providing a handout and citing Kansas City’s four-step reuse process as a model for community-driven repurposing: \"Strong schools means strong communities,\" he said.

Velma Bailey of Torchbearers asked the district to reconsider a previously discussed learn-to-swim program and said her group would underwrite staffing, transportation, and swimwear for participating children; she asked for use of district space during inclement weather and for food-service support for a summer start date. Bailey said the initiative was intended as an after-school or summer offering, not a curriculum change, and framed it as part of broader recovery supports for families.

Board members thanked the speakers and said staff would follow up where appropriate. The board’s public-comment rules and sign-in procedures were read at the start of the period; speakers each had up to three minutes.

No formal board action on these requests was taken during the meeting; board members and staff noted the comments and asked staff to follow up with the presenters as needed.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting - 6/10/25","oneSentenceSummary","During public comment the board heard calls for the district to lead reuse of vacant school buildings, to reconsider a community-sponsored learn-to-swim program, and a resident offered a community school-bus project proposal; speakers tied requests to recovery needs after the May 16 tornado.","taxTitle","St. Louis City, School Districts, Missouri","taxId",13573,"location","Missouri","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6206976,"Board tables Trane decision on Ashland Elementary chiller after tornado pauses manufacturing; pausing could incur a 20–25% penalty",1003,9590000,10593000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3&start=9590&end=10593","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3/thumbnail_9590000.jpg","/articles/6206976/Missouri/Board-tables-Trane-decision-on-Ashland-Elementary-chiller-after-tornado-pauses-manufacturing-pausing-could-incur-a-2025-penalty","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206976-a66adad6dd25f89acaa5992fa8d323e8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770903108&Signature=bcGXyLdGhLOTQjToFD8dvnru81tYPYelq61K-snO6z-szS9VxWQcZsxn~emrAruDU7xHYXdwJGyxAyI7B2Qp~zjNmXwiDkbOhVUmvACgBYFJQeSEKNjcjymSK~Ilklj0SDbBgkRcF5mwrBGzgeC8qldclDuNuZBWLE6t3m--3myVjDZnjJIyZpthpaAn4rxoP95SGzFSxJxXRkCus411cm8FmStLBhgatm1AtBolA9C0vc7rnBON~MNSLKL0Cmo1JrGRqrOFagoxUDMtLl63-to6SDSAJ0Y~nL3aAcUPzaONmh6q~IxZBn2lrnHSljJScznxwGy8h25iDy8~zg2QEA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District facilities staff notified the board on June 10 that a Trane contract to replace or upgrade HVAC equipment at Ashland Elementary had been paused because of tornado-related disruptions, and that pausing production of a custom chiller could trigger a manufacturer charge.

Mr. Watson, a district facilities representative, summarized the situation: Trane had already begun manufacturing a chiller customized for Ashland; because of the tornado the work stopped and Trane asked whether the district wanted to proceed immediately or pause. Watson said a pause could require the district to pay roughly 20–25% of the chiller cost because the unit is already in production; he said that amount is \"around $300,000.\" He also said the chiller is configured for that school specifically and could not be moved to other buildings without modification.

Board discussion focused on risk and information gaps. Members said they wanted clearer cost and timeline details, and multiple trustees expressed concern that pausing could be more expensive than continuing. Facilities staff said the project already has a contract with Trane and that continuing manufacturing is likely the most cost-effective course, but they could not guarantee the school would be ready for the coming school year because interior conditions and further inspections remain uncertain.

Because Trane did not send a representative to the meeting to answer detailed contractual questions and because several specific cost and timeline questions remained unanswered, the board voted to table the Trane item (agenda item 10.2) rather than take immediate action. The recorded roll call after the motion to table shows board members voted in the affirmative to table the item.

Next steps: staff and Trane will supply the detailed cost, timeline, and contract-amendment information requested by trustees; the board will consider any required contract amendments or funding authorizations once that information is provided.","A Trane project paused after storm damage raised timing and cost questions. Facilities staff said the chiller is customized and pausing production could trigger a 20–25% charge (roughly $300,000); the board voted to table action after robust discussion and requested further detail before approving continuation.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6206981,"SLPS board approves FY25–26 budget updates after grant allocations change; net reduction about $868,000",380,8370000,8750000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3&start=8370&end=8750","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3/thumbnail_8370000.jpg","/articles/6206981/Missouri/SLPS-board-approves-FY2526-budget-updates-after-grant-allocations-change-net-reduction-about-868000","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206981-3499900c36ee687b2282de0731ee19f8/orig.mp4?Expires=1770903108&Signature=DKO5WQed8x6lSbK3Dy1wGBJyti8M0QbJ4M40pAf18~oG5VO6sfaqwOjJMlUCmP3R7mHEU8KqiNIWeNjVPJd6re5iVQ8f8xmjXdNPhYiZ7UDomGdCluB4I6i7SvqKs~QuMDbc9MqsFCSFxgMp-AvE5WgtVUkro9bSZXyhoOsuLlMfI6mNZYn8E7Gy51wKez5RdmmVrdq~6IwRTvzljDi3ehpZkoVMngzoqx5O~VucyqIOOCVNKIQYz4MOxBRt2VkNBuK0eRtHUO2-R6UUWcn54HhL-ScGVDTaz74g8G7anuctTxgEKJxbdVZrNFplhM3F~ziOeAe5JR6AYmI4N8YicA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Budget staff presented updates to the district's proposed FY25–26 budget during the June 10 meeting, saying actual grant allocations had arrived since the May presentation and required updates to revenues and expenditures.

A district budget staff member identified as Miss Johnson told the board that updated grant notices changed the budget both up and down and that the net change across funds was a reduction of $868,395. She said that updated allocations that arrived as actuals (rather than estimates) totaled roughly $7.5 million in staff calculations and named several grants and amounts used to update the proposal, including a Perkins award of about $1,000,000, a CTE base and performance allotment of roughly $330,000, and an IDEA Part B allocation of about $5,200,000. Johnson also said an ECSE (6–11) transportation-related allocation and an Afghan-refugee allocation were in the crosswalk used to explain the changes.

When Johnson later summarized net federal changes, she said federal revenue decreased by $877,547 due to reductions that included an Afghan-refugee grant cut of about $756,000, a refugee grant reduction of $22,001.73, a Perkins reduction of $88,007.70, and an ECSE 611 reduction of $14,002.56. She said small increases were present in other grants (for example a $9,152 increase in the CTE base/performance line and a $4,471 increase in IDEA Part B between estimate and allocation). The staff presentation included a crosswalk tying each change to the affected fund and function and showing corresponding expenditure adjustments.

Miss Johnson explained the mechanics: when a grant estimate is adjusted down, planned grant-funded expenditures also fall—reducing supplies and purchase-service lines in some programs. She said the largest expenditure reductions were $774,000 in supplies/materials and $93,874 in purchase services, and described how the district would use fund balance if required to maintain required services.

Board members asked for additional detail on a few lines, including a roughly $2 million increase in the board-services object code and a larger legal-settlements increase; staff agreed to provide the requested line-item details following the meeting.

The board voted to approve the revised FY25–26 proposed budget during the action agenda (item 15.18). No roll-call tally beyond the meeting’s recorded affirmative votes was provided in the presentation excerpt.","Budget staff told the board that several federal and state grant estimates converted to actual allocations, yielding net revenue and expenditure adjustments; the board approved the revised FY25–26 proposed budget.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6206985,"Longtime lobbyist Steve Carroll tells SLPS board a volatile session left schools largely protected; retirement fix included in bill",960,3242000,4202000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3&start=3242&end=4202","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3/thumbnail_3242000.jpg","/articles/6206985/Missouri/Longtime-lobbyist-Steve-Carroll-tells-SLPS-board-a-volatile-session-left-schools-largely-protected-retirement-fix-included-in-bill","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206985-267d987526c3fb22aaf9b75d46131bc9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770903108&Signature=VbcNhA1vDvXvHFG-Cf2vhnY4Dnz2JHs2G~Zdas0b7Na5~CP6SPTqNb~RUZ~~MBbpar5vvjC-fz9NOniqBRhS1hqA5kWQ9EiPP1wBqX8Hzi3ynGxmYLnWtG-N3HEH9652EIc8bSAMMHzV2PuRA3Paz0TPj-slXj1I4mqgFqIzcgK4T-NgaVpkWpejZm9XeThTTm8fbZrfOKxuzvoyXCuiWOfePj~04NBOKpKYMlLh2GcQpr2C23IK6EkWD0GikVTsrpRr~rwkXiEu~lGe9d8aAcMqSKDY1Zf3RB00aH5xmTXun6HSegliFmkLW-pjOukxZEkZZQF-yFxxQAMHe6d-CA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Steve Carroll, president of Carroll and Associates government-relations firm, told the Saint Louis Public Schools Board of Education on June 10 that the 2025 Missouri legislative session ended chaotically but produced several results relevant to the district.

Carroll said the legislature approved large allocations for stadium projects and tornado relief and that, for education, the session left the district with several defensive successes: he said his office helped defeat bills that would have removed major revenue streams from state government and that negotiators preserved funding the district sought. \"There were dozens of bills like that this year that we were able to kill,\" Carroll said.

Carroll described two items of special interest to SLPS: first, House Bill 711 (open enrollment) passed the Missouri House but was amended and then stalled in the Senate; Carroll said he ensured language allowing this board to opt out of open enrollment annually because SLPS is part of the desegregation settlement. Second, Carroll said the district’s $2.5 million line item for a reading-literacy program was preserved in the final package and is now on the governor’s desk.

On retirement funding, Carroll described an off-session negotiation that produced legislation enacted this year as House Bill 147, which he said caps the district’s retirement contribution rate at 14 percent and—he said—will get the system above a 70 percent funding threshold by 2031 under the bill’s schedule. \"We came up with a bill ... which caps our contribution rate of 14%. So it's something that that we can afford, something that will get us to the 70% by the year 02/1931,\" Carroll said.

Carroll also warned the board that a statewide formula review process is underway and will report recommendations by December 2026; he described concern the commission’s membership and the governor’s guidance could yield a formula recommendation that does not fully fund current needs. He urged the board to prepare a legislative platform and to continue committee work on that agenda.

Board members thanked Carroll for his long service and said they planned to reconvene the board’s legislative committee to craft a platform for the coming sessions.

The board did not take a formal vote on Carroll’s report; the session was informational. Carroll answered members’ questions about the retirement bill’s governor-signature likelihood and about the district’s exemption planning for open enrollment.","Steve Carroll, SLPS lobbyist, briefed the board on the 2025 Missouri legislative session, describing budget fights, an open-enrollment bill exemption for SLPS, a line-item for reading literacy, and passage of a retirement-contribution compromise (House Bill 147) that caps the district contribution rate.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6206991,"St. Louis Public Schools reports spring STAR gains but 4,150 students remain on mandated reading success plans",908,4568000,5476000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3&start=4568&end=5476","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759926-9c2e7f07af5557458512d099e9613ed3/thumbnail_4568000.jpg","/articles/6206991/Missouri/St-Louis-Public-Schools-reports-spring-STAR-gains-but-4150-students-remain-on-mandated-reading-success-plans","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6206991-8137fdb118c95e9149d2d1f0e984ce40/orig.mp4?Expires=1770903108&Signature=d0RfaA6yjXP5x7GqdMwfJ8CENhS4RwAjv2YbMeVOsMI8s895opa2GfpksCO6yboeUEAanuIdPs7iiBaUeeBsps7srnXIsFcxkj4EQOOkAAzgFXGWym7SAgKj5I6VE7V9DsVqq42EybllPzWDYP3s3wdYelmT8~BGAnmvoAAaJuWF-ZuKCxlU-hxny1NPavCY387B19s-c23E~GDsrCBvayKXB17pn0bP2WI-ucNLnIztiD3LdV4IS7ia0VIaRnU-bWRp9kWn~~BPqYaAefDD~BpE327hWwoRCpIS8ble4XVQ20Pz12vrGIXjuV28doUGyxH6zBnTHxeZiR2QWe6RlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Allison Dino, an academic presenter for St. Louis Public Schools, told the board on June 10 that spring STAR reading and math data show growth across most grades but that a large number of elementary students still qualify for state-mandated reading support.

The district reported 4,150 students meeting Missouri’s reading-success-plan cutoff this year after the state changed its threshold to the 30th national percentile; Dino said that number is smaller than last year despite the higher cutoff. \"In SLPS, that was still 500 fewer students needing reading success plans,\" she said. Rochelle Douglas, the district’s Director of Assessment, described how the district uses STAR scaled scores to project MAP proficiency and why reporting improvements requires matched-student comparisons.

Why it matters: Reading success plans are required statewide for students who fall below the selected percentile; they guide targeted school interventions and family conferences. The board’s goal-setting and curriculum decisions hinge on clear, comparable measures of growth and proficiency.

District presenters emphasized growth as a pathway to proficiency. Douglas showed mean scaled-score increases from fall to spring in most elementary grades and explained an anomalous dip in one grade was tied to unmatched sets of students: \"we had many more students taking it in the spring that did not take it in the fall because they weren't with us. So they were new to Saint Louis Public Schools,\" she said. The presentation reported that, when restricted to matched students, grade-level increases were larger.

The district also highlighted students who met the 2.5-years-of-growth target or who “maxed out” the STAR assessment: Dino and Douglas reported 5,549 students across reading and math either met 2.5 years of growth or reached the test ceiling.

Board members and public commenters pressed for clearer presentation and faster progress. Board Member Hobart asked whether the same students were driving both reading and math gains; Douglas replied that there is not a one-to-one correspondence. In public comment, parent and educator Lauren Ray Preston said the district’s own data show many students remain well below grade-level reading: \"Your own data shows that we're not doing enough. We're not moving fast enough,\" she said, urging the board to increase urgency on literacy.

The board approved several curriculum- and assessment-related contracts during the meeting that relate to instruction and testing, including Renaissance Learning and IXL Learning, and voted to purchase the ACT/PreACT assessments for 2025–26.

District next steps include releasing official MAP outcomes on July 7 and adjusting next year’s reporting to use matched student sets so changes are less likely to reflect cohort turnover. The academics team said schools will set growth and proficiency targets in their school improvement plans for the coming year.

There were no formal board actions that altered the district’s reading-success-plan policy during the meeting; the presentation and public comments will inform future board and superintendent actions.","District academics leaders presented spring STAR reading and math results showing growth in scale scores and a drop in students needing reading success plans to 4,150 under Missouri's 30th-percentile cutoff; board and public commenters urged faster progress and clearer reporting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public commenters urge SLPS to reuse vacant schools, expand swim lessons and support summer services after tornado

Board tables Trane decision on Ashland Elementary chiller after tornado pauses manufacturing; pausing could incur a 20–25% penalty

SLPS board approves FY25–26 budget updates after grant allocations change; net reduction about $868,000

Longtime lobbyist Steve Carroll tells SLPS board a volatile session left schools largely protected; retirement fix included in bill

St. Louis Public Schools reports spring STAR gains but 4,150 students remain on mandated reading success plans