St. Louis Public Schools legislative committee to condense 2026 platform, prioritize funding and local control

The St. Louis Public Schools legislative committee voted to move forward with a condensed 2026 legislative platform and asked staff to return a revised draft in early November for a legislative breakfast with city and county legislators. The committee met virtually and discussed funding, local control and school safety on Sept. 11, 2025.

The committee’s decision to tighten the platform followed a legislative update about recent activity at the state capitol and concerns the board may face increased scrutiny from state leaders. Steve, a staff member who provided the update, recommended condensing the platform to about five core priorities and circulating a numbered draft for committee review.

Committee members said the streamlined package should emphasize why it matters to the district. “I think we need to condense our legislative platform to the main areas that we care about and that are important to us,” Steve (staff member) said, adding that the committee should approve a final draft in early November so it can be taken to a legislators’ breakfast.

Committee discussion listed the issues they want front and center. Funding-related priorities the committee identified for the condensed platform include fully funding the state foundation formula and safeguarding local tax revenue. The committee also named the state transportation funding formula as a high priority, saying it must be fully funded because the district relies on that money for student transportation.

Members pressed to remove duplication in the draft and to clarify where the committee’s positions link to specific policy changes. Steve recommended cutting one repetitive bullet from the draft and, where possible, replacing bullets with a numbered list. He also said the administration will prepare a redraft and circulate it to committee members later the same day.

On program- and policy-specific items, the committee discussed: - a proposal that new charter schools obtain a certificate of need from the state board of education and local board sign-off before opening; - opposing proposals that would shift public dollars away from public schools, including voucher-style measures; - opposing a statewide open-enrollment mandate without local carve-outs, noting the district’s unique status under ongoing court orders; and - supporting the governor’s foundation-formula work group and advocating that any new formula preserve or add weighted funding for students who are homeless or highly mobile.

Committee members also asked the administration to prepare supporting materials. “We had a backup document that illustrated some of the unique challenges that the St. Louis Public Schools had,” Steve said, referring to prior briefing materials showing counts and cost impacts for students experiencing homelessness and trauma. Members asked that similar data and an infographic or short packet be provided to legislators when the platform is presented.

Other items discussed for inclusion in the platform were property-tax and levy protections and a statement opposing any shift of local tax sources that would hurt school funding; the committee flagged pending ideas in the legislature to change personal-property and real-property tax treatment and asked staff to include language opposing abrupt tax shifts without a full fiscal analysis. The committee also agreed to include language on school-safety measures raised by members and students, including support for so-called red-flag or emergency order protections.

The committee set a timeline: staff will circulate a revised platform and supporting documents in late October; the committee intends to vote on a draft in the October legislative committee meeting and to hold a legislative breakfast with city and county legislators in early November. The committee’s meeting schedule is planned through June 2026, and the next legislative committee meeting is scheduled for Oct. 9 at 10 a.m.

No formal board vote was taken on the platform at this meeting; members directed staff to draft the condensed platform and supporting materials and to coordinate with communications for outreach and a legislators’ breakfast.

The meeting concluded with routine business and scheduling notes.