SLPS master plan: consultants say city schools underused, tornado damage could cut enrollment by about 2,000

Consultants retained by Saint Louis Public Schools (SLPS) presented a master-planning update at the July 22 work session that combined a facilities condition assessment, demographic forecasts and tornado-impact modeling. The team said SLPS operates 68 schools in 79 buildings with an average building age of roughly 79 years and estimated cumulative reserve costs (the cost of systems that have reached or exceeded expected lifespans) of about $1.84 billion over a 20-year planning horizon.

The presentation outlined damage from the May 16, 2025 tornado that directly affected 12 schools and created a buffer area of additional impact. Consultants presented low- and high-impact scenarios and said their high-impact projection would result in approximately 2,000 fewer students districtwide for the 2025–26 school year — a reduction the team said would be additive to preexisting demographic declines in the city. The consultants explained that the district's total enrollment for 2024–25 was about 18,122 and that the systemwide utilization rate is roughly 52.4 percent (about one in two seats vacant).

As part of scenario planning tied to community input — including repeated requests to maintain smaller classroom…