The Saint Louis Public Schools Governance Committee voted to send a board bill to the full board to continue using the Wyndham Group as the district's consultant to receive and manage whistleblower reports while the district issues a request for proposals (RFP) and reviews the policy scope. The committee approved forwarding a motion that the Wyndham Group be retained for the duration of the current agreement, with a 30-day termination clause, until an RFP process identifies a replacement.

Committee members discussed recommendations from Armanino's management assessment, which suggested reviewing the district's whistleblower policy to ensure employees know how to use the process and feel protected when raising concerns. Committee members said they interpreted some of Armanino's observations as pointing to a broader workplace climate issue; others noted that the legal definition of a whistleblower policy typically centers on financial malfeasance.

Members agreed the district needs a named compliance recipient for whistleblower reports and that service must not lapse while the district completes an RFP. Several committee members said the district should broaden or clarify the scope of the policy if required, and they asked that representatives from Armanino return to a future (closed-session) meeting to explain the firm's recommendations and the management assessment in more detail.

Outcome and next steps: The committee moved and approved a recommendation to the full board to continue the Wyndham Group as the district's whistleblower consultant until an RFP is completed, including a 30-day termination notice. The committee requested that the district draft an RFP and that counsel and staff review the scope of work to ensure any new contract includes the protections and duties the board expects. The committee also recommended bringing Armanino back for further explanation of its findings to clarify whether the district needs a broader employee-protection mechanism beyond the whistleblower policy adopted in February 2025.

Discussion vs. decision: Committee discussion focused on (1) the legal scope of whistleblower policies vs. broader employee-protection and climate concerns raised by Armanino, (2) interim contracting options to avoid a lapse in service, and (3) whether the RFP scope should be expanded. The formal action was to forward the Wyndham agreement to the full board with the 30-day termination provision and with direction to proceed with an RFP.

Administrative note: The committee recorded a desire to avoid month-to-month extensions; several members proposed extending the current agreement through December with a 30-day termination option if an appropriate vendor is identified earlier.

Ending: The full board will receive the referral and the proposed contract extension; board counsel and the internal auditor will provide any recommended revisions to the RFP and the scope of services before the full-board vote.