St. Louis Public Schools board ratifies temporary colocation plan after May tornado

The St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) Board of Education voted 6–1 on July 14 to ratify a tentative agreement with AFT Local 420 that relocates students from tornado-damaged buildings to host schools for the 2025–26 school year while repairs proceed.

The plan places Sumner High School and FreshStart at Stevens Middle School; Yateman (Yapement) at Blewett; Soldan at Gateway STEM High School; Ashland Elementary at Jefferson Elementary; Hickey Elementary at Walbridge; Washington Montessori at AIMS Visual & Performing Arts Elementary; and confirms Beaumont will remain served at Clyde C. Miller. The board recorded a final vote of Yes: Miss Foster, Mister Heights, Miss Jones, Mister Morrison, Miss Hubbard, Doctor Collins Adams; No: Mister Conover.

Board President Doctor Collins Adams and SLPS administrators said the agreement preserves separate staffing for each relocated school and is intended only as a temporary measure while damaged buildings are repaired.

Doctor Richey, who opened the district presentation, said the briefing’s purpose was to provide “an update on the SLPS tornado response in hopes of providing additional and enough information for the board to approve the joint agreement reached by SLPS and AFT Local 420 related to the colocation of 4 schools and the movement of 2 schools to its own location.” Doctor Richey introduced the SLPS operations, human resources and school leadership team that led the planning.

Why it matters: dozens of SLPS buildings were damaged during the May tornado, affecting thousands of students and prompting emergency relocation and repair work. The board said it needed…