Committee members, parents and community representatives used the Aug. 27 meeting of the St. Louis Public Schools Budget, Equity & Transparency Committee to press the district for clearer public information on per‑school spending and to raise concerns about inequitable private fundraising and declining enrollment.

A committee participant said there is a “persistent perception in the city that St. Louis public schools is not equitable in how we allocate funds to our schools,” and urged renewed public reporting. The speaker argued the district previously produced an annual report that showed per‑school spending and suggested republishing similar reports so community members can see spending per pupil by school and facility costs.

Reverend Dr. Teresa Danley, who identified herself as a parent of three SLPS students and a PTO and booster volunteer, described disparities in private fundraising across schools. “My own experience with my kids at different schools has been that the private money that goes into each school is not equitable,” Danley said. She noted that families’ time, transportation and shift work affect the ability to maintain an active PTO and contribute private funds to schools.

Why it matters: Community fundraising and private donations can create disparities in school resources that are outside the district’s direct budgeting process. Board members and community organizers discussed ways to improve transparency and suggested district-level outreach and printed or online reports that document per-pupil allocations and spending.

Additional discussion: Committee members linked enrollment decline to broader housing and city development issues. One committee member and a community speaker raised the need for coordinated citywide efforts—such as affordable family housing near schools—to retain and attract families. The Parent Action Council was cited as pursuing a model to redistribute parent-raised funds across schools, and one speaker referenced University City’s shared PTO budget as an example.

Committee response and next steps: The CFO and finance staff were asked to make key materials available to the public and the committee: a chart-of-accounts legend, the formula criteria used to allocate discretionary budgets to schools, and per-school budget detail. Committee members encouraged continuing community outreach and using the committee’s meetings to educate and advocate about how funds are allocated.

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