Board members ask for more transparency as SLPS and Saint Louis Public School Foundation discuss MOU

Board members reviewed a proposed memorandum of understanding with the Saint Louis Public School Foundation and asked foundation leaders to present to the board in person and provide more transparency about donors and restricted funds.

Staff explained the draft MOU includes a $40,000 annual allocation to the foundation for administration and management of school-specific funds and scholarships; district staff said invoices for that amount have been processed historically even though a current executed agreement was not on file. Board members raised concerns about donor disclosure, how the foundation determines funding priorities, and whether restricted donations are being steered to particular schools without board awareness.

Several board members requested that foundation leadership present an annual or quarterly report to the board that discloses donors and explains how restricted and unrestricted funds are allocated. The board agreed to invite the foundation to an upcoming meeting for that discussion; the foundation representative on the meeting video call experienced technical difficulties during the session and agreed to reconnect for a subsequent presentation.

District staff said some functions that historically routed through the foundation, such as trust-account management for alumni gifts and school-specific funds, remain in use; finance staff said such trust funds flow through district finance and can be audited. No formal vote on the MOU was recorded at the meeting; board members asked staff to confirm the $40,000 administrative allocation and to request the foundation provide the requested reporting and donor-disclosure information before moving forward with a renewed agreement.