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 to approve a plan so schools, families and staff could finalize fall operations before teachers report and students arrive.

What administrators told the board

Mister Watson, SLPS chief of operations, told the board that roughly 1,900–2,000 students have been identified as displaced by the storm and that transportation plans are split into two categories: students who remain within St. Louis city limits will continue to use regular home-to-school bus routes (called “Zoom” in district materials) once addresses are updated in the district’s system; students living outside the city or without a permanent residence will be supported under McKinney‑Vento protocols with alternate transportation modes such as taxis or minibuses. Watson said district staff and social workers are contacting families to update addresses and finalize routes.

On moving costs and insurance, Watson said the district has submitted invoices to its insurer, Travelers, and was “in the tune of around $700,000 right now,” while continuing to collect additional invoices. The board previously approved a $3.7 million initial insurance plan. SLPS has submitted an application to FEMA (submitted June 13) and, per the presentation, FEMA would reimburse 75% of eligible repair costs, CEMA 10% and the district would be responsible for 15%.

Operations also described procurement steps for building repairs: an RFP for repair work was to be posted by Friday, July 18, remain open for about three weeks, and anticipated bids coming back by Aug. 22, 2025; a cross‑department team will review bids and sign conflict‑of‑interest disclosures before recommending awards.

Board discussion and concerns

Board members sought clarity on several items, including Beaumont’s placement (clarified to remain at Clyde C. Miller), timelines for repairs, capacity and operational readiness at host buildings, and whether moving and new operational costs will be reimbursable. Several trustees criticized the speed and transparency of the process. Mister Conover voted against the plan and said he opposed the timing and the way decisions were handled; other trustees voiced frustration that staff, the union and the board did not arrive at an agreed plan sooner.

Trustees also pressed for clearer budget accounting. Doctor Richey and staff said the district will both submit reimbursable relocation expenses to insurers and FEMA and also track costs internally; however, staff noted the district must pay vendors upfront and will seek reimbursement afterward. The presentation repeated that FEMA would reimburse 75% of eligible costs and CEMA 10%.

Logistics, timelines and supports

Administrators described a sequence of communications and supports already under way: the superintendent shared school‑pairing information with the board and AFT on June 9 and with families on June 10; the Little Bit Foundation hub opened June 2 at Metro High School to provide family supports and was reported relocated to Vashon High School for a period in late July; social workers and enrollment staff have been contacting families directly. The district’s preliminary timeline listed July 7–11 as the period when SLPS and AFT reached a tentative agreement; July 18 for the RFP posting; teachers’ report dates and first day of school were stated as key upcoming dates with the first student day set for Aug. 18, 2025.

Votes at a glance

MOTION (Mister Morrison, moved; Miss Hubbard, seconded): Ratify the tentative agreement to colocate the impacted schools for the 2025–26 school year, maintaining separate staffing for relocated schools, with the amendment that Beaumont remain colocated with Clyde C. Miller. Vote: Yes — Miss Foster, Mister Heights, Miss Jones, Mister Morrison, Miss Hubbard, Doctor Collins Adams; No — Mister Conover. Motion approved.

What the vote does and doesn’t do

The vote ratifies the temporary placements and directs staff to proceed with communications, transportation planning and procurement steps described in the presentation. It does not approve final construction contracts — the presentation said the RFP process will produce recommendations to the superintendent and board for contract awards.

Looking ahead

Administrators said the district will continue weekly colocation planning meetings with department leaders (transportation, facilities, safety and security, nutrition, special education, student support services and others) and will provide updates to the board as bids are reviewed and more precise cost estimates are available. The district will track reimbursements submitted to Travelers Insurance and FEMA, and staff said they will seek to identify which relocation and operational costs are eligible for reimbursement and present that line‑item information to the board.

Direct quotes from meeting participants appear in the reporting and are sourced to the speakers listed in the official meeting record.