ST. LOUIS — Students, staff and administrators at St. Louis Public Schools kicked off the 2023-24 school year Monday morning.
After Kelvin Adam's retirement in December, SLPS starting the school year with a new superintendent for the first time in 14 years.
Keisha Scarlett comes to St. Louis after working for Seattle Public Schools for 24 years, leaving the district as chief academic officer/assistant superintendent.
We spoke with Scarlett as she arrived at Clyde C. Miller Career Academy to welcome students Monday morning. She said she has met with students and faculty leading up to the start of the school year. 5 On Your Side asked which needs teachers have shared with her, and Scarlett said, “They want support in mental health, to make sure they’re staying above the line so that they can really give to students as well. Also, career advancement opportunities and ways they’ll be able to be retained within the organization.”
St. Louis city leaders have been searching for solutions to violence involving youth in the city. We asked Dr. Scarlett how SLPS plays a part in ensuring St. Louis youth stay safe. Dr. Scarlett responded, “Having adults who care for them, and are connected with them ... who know them by their name, their story and their need is very important. That’s the first step to making sure we have safe schools.”
When asked whether the district will play a role in improving safety on a citywide level, Dr. Scarlett said, “The safety issues we have in the city are citywide issues. The school district plays their part. We’re looking forward to working with our mayor and the rest of our city leaders and having safe spaces for students even after school will be important as well.”
This is the second year students will receive free school supplies from the S. Louis Public School District. But, this year the coordinators had a crew for packing and delivery so schools didn't have to worry about transporting the backpacks to campus.
During the summer, a team of volunteers stuffed the bags with things like notebooks, pens and even graphic calculators for older kids to make sure all students are set up for success.
"We started in March with planning and purchasing all the supplies,"
SLPS Lead Instructional Specialist Samona Walker said. 'It's a lot of items... it's about 20,000 backpacks that we have been working with to get delivered to the schools so our students can have them on the first day. They all come with all the supplies the kids need. Parents don't have to purchase anything. Everything they need for the first day of school is there for them."
This year, the perimeters of schools and playgrounds will look different.
In June, the district spent about two million dollars in state and federal funding to remove chain-linked fences coated in lead paint at 21 schools. The project was part of the Lead Hazard Reduction Program.
SLPS has $160 million dollars in Proposition S funding. The measure was passed in 2022.
About $30 million is slated for building improvements, $10 million goes toward safety and security, and $2.8 million is expected to go toward making schools more ADA-compliant.
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