Saint Louis Public Schools holds public meet-and-greet for new board member; superintendent outlines literacy, STEM and extracurricular initiatives
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Summary
The district introduced new board member Ben Conover and senior cabinet members, and Superintendent Millicent Borchadeh presented key initiatives including Literacy for the Lou, a reading-and-writing pilot, expanded classroom libraries, ZSpace in STEM schools and districtwide extracurricular competitions.
Ben Conover, the board’s newest member, attended a public meet-and-greet at a Saint Louis Public Schools session where Superintendent Millicent Borchadeh introduced her senior cabinet and summarized the district’s priorities and initiatives.
The introductions and overview were presented as part of the district’s onboarding work for new board members. "Mr. Conover will be fulfilling a vacancy… He'll be serving from 2025 through 2027," Borchadeh said during opening remarks, adding that Conover will serve on the legislative and governance committees. Conover said he hopes to bring his legislative and advocacy experience to the board: "I have some background in legislative work as well as advocacy work… I'm really excited to get involved here at the public school district, Saint Louis Public Schools." (Ben Conover)
Why it matters: the session combined formal onboarding with public access to introduce the new board member and senior staff, and to give the board and public an early look at district priorities that will influence decisions this school year.
Borchadeh introduced the cabinet members who spoke briefly about their roles and reasons for joining the district. Lisonbee Dino, chief of schools, summarized the district’s instruction focus: "every single student deserves to have the highest quality educational opportunities every single day so that they can reach all their hopes and dreams" (Lisonbee Dino). Natasha Mitchell, chief technology officer, described the district’s approach to classroom technology as moving students from passive users to creators. Chief financial and operations staff also described personal commitments to the district’s work.
Key initiatives described by Borchadeh and staff included Literacy for the Lou, the district’s reading-and-writing initiative that began in January 2024 and asked students to read 1,838 minutes (the year the district began). Borchadeh said the district distributed "passports" to students to record reading minutes, developed a learning lab, and has expanded a reading-and-writing pilot from six to 12 schools. Teachers at a participating school described changes in student engagement and writing skills after implementing the initiative.
Districtwide extracurricular programs described included a newly staged academic bowl involving high schools and a district spelling bee whose school winners will advance to a regional spelling bee. ZSpace technology, described as a virtual/augmented reality tool, is in use in high schools and two STEM middle schools to support science instruction without physical constraints (students described increased engagement and the ability to perform virtual dissections).
Borchadeh announced a summer board retreat scheduled for June 2–6 (dates contingent on a reply from MSBA). She also opened time for the new board member to ask questions and for audience questions; a community commenter identified himself as Dr. Zach Davis and asked Conover how his background would serve a predominantly African American district. Conover cited his legislative experience and local funding concerns—TIFs and tax abatements—and said he would focus on relationships with the Board of Aldermen and local funders to protect property-tax revenue for schools.
Ending: The public portion closed with a brief Q&A and a transition to refreshments; the meeting later included a finance presentation and a motion to adjourn followed by an amended motion to reconvene in closed session (see separate article on finance and votes).
