What the hell is going on? (Issue 1)
And what are we going to do about it?
Good morning!
This is one of those weeks where the news cycle and my life cycle don’t match up. I have lots and LOTS of things to say about the recent SLPS announcement that six schools damaged by the tornado won’t be re-opening in the fall. I have lots and LOTS more to say about their “Reimagining SLPS” community engagement campaign.
Unfortunately, though, my paid work deadlines and family commitments are making it difficult for me to carve out the thinking and writing time I need to do those topics justice. But that doesn’t mean I can let them pass by unacknowledged.
School closure and district strategic planning are big, messy topics that are hard to wrap your head around. Even I, a person who every day for almost six years now has thought, written, and researched school closure, am having difficulty sorting out what’s happening. But the magnitude of these concepts and the ramifications of the future decisions mean they are likely THE most important issues facing the district and even our City right now. The tornado brought unspeakable tragedy to St. Louis, tragedy that will compound day-over-day, month-over-month, and year-over-year until we properly address it. We have to get the response right, or as close to right as possible, and a significant part of getting it right means reopening as many schools as possible in the short term, building new schools in the long term, and committing to the idea that schools can anchor and stabilize communities.
Right now, we are doing anything but that. We aren’t even talking productively about the tornado’s impact on our city’s public education system. Schools are, as they always are, an afterthought. Even to the Board of Education, whose public sessions have been absent any meaningful discussion or dialogue about the tornado and its effects on students, staff, district finances, and school buildings.
So, what the hell is going on? And, what are we going to do about it?
What the hell is going on?
Honestly, I have no idea.
I was surprised by the announcement that six schools were deemed too damaged to reopen in August. I was even more surprised that the announcement came six hours BEFORE a board meeting. And I was shocked that the meeting didn’t include any explanation of the damage, costs, or other factors that went into making that decision. While I don’t necessarily think the board needed to vote on that decision (as a point of comparison the board doesn’t vote on snow days, although this is clearly much higher stakes), I do think the board and therefore the community should have been informed as to how the administration arrived at that decision. Maybe everything couldn’t have been discussed in open session, but certainly a lot of it could have been.
These tornado-related closures, even if they are temporary, could further destabilize north City and its residents. A decision that potentially far reaching should not be made without fully weighing the pros and cons. But to do that requires a clear understanding of the district’s mission and goals; detailed data; and a thorough explanation comparing and contrasting the financial ramifications of repairing the damage, short term closures, and permanent closures.
But keep in mind, the district was already in Phase 2 (of three) of its Reimagining SLPS process. Despite the colorful, feel good language the district uses in official communications, IT IS A SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCESS. Even before the tornado, there was a need to permanently close schools as enrollment continues to drop as a side effect of declining city population and other factors.
SLPS needs to close schools. Likely a lot of them. But which schools should close? That’s the million dollar question and one that will take all of us to answer.
Local news coverage for helpful context (I’d add official SLPS posts but there aren’t any on their website or social media. Parents did get an email but it didn’t have any information beyond what has been reported in the media.):
St. Louis Public Schools may close some schools this summer after storm damage, St. Louis Public Radio, June 10, 2025
St. Louis Public Schools to reassign some students after May tornado damaged buildings, St. Louis Public Radio, June 10, 2025
Six tornado-damaged St. Louis public schools won’t reopen this fall, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, June 10, 2025
What are we going to do about it?
Well, I did what I always do when I get worried about the school district — I contacted my local elected officials and other local leaders to make sure they were aware what’s happening. I shared my concerns about the inequitable nature of these closures and pushed for the City to be more involved in this process. I suggest you do that too.
I also attended one of the Reimagining SLPS sessions. With the exception of a local reporter, I think I was the only non-employee there. In addition, attendance was dominated by Central Office employees and no board members were present. (Note -pictures posted to the SLPS Facebook page of Wednesday evening’s session appear to have more parents and board members in attendance, so that is great!) I recorded audio of the event and as soon as I finish cleaning up the transcript I will be sharing it here. If you haven’t already, you should attend one of the sessions. The next one is June 18, 5-6pm at Central Office.
I’m going to bring back City Reform Book Club (details and dates TBD, maybe as soon as the end of next week) so that we can read Eve L. Ewing’s masterpiece Ghosts in the Schoolyard and discuss it together. I know, I know. I never finished the last book club. I have good reason for that, though, reasons I fully intended to dive into here but haven’t gotten to yet because there is always so much to discuss and never enough time. The short version is this, the election was bogging me down mentally and emotionally. Trying to write about all those feelings and events while teaching about governance was just too much for me to manage in a healthy way. I am proud of how we started out strong and I had every intention to finish after the election but then I realized that wasn’t fair to the new board members. They needed some time to get on their feet and grow as a team before there was someone like me commenting on their every move, so I was waiting for a better time to pick the book back up. Maybe we can get back to that this fall or something, but right now it is critical that we all get on the same page about school closures.
In the not-even-48 hours since SLPS announced the tornado-related closures, I’ve already seen the discourse go wild. SLPS has completely lost the narrative, if they ever had it at all, and the absence of clear information about their plans is feeding the rumor mill and stirring emotions. I may not be able to help address the lack of information, but I can help talk everyone through school closures, the data used in the decision making process, and why the process always seems to be so contentious. I’m also publicly offering to discuss the book with and/or lead an in-person book club for any/all members the Board of Education, other City elected officials, unelected policymakers like City planning department employees, parent groups, or any other group of people who want to understand the process of school closures. Both the Substack book club and any other version of a book club I do will include information about St. Louis, our own history of school closure, and other related policy topics.
We have closed schools so many times before and we always end up right back where we started. Sometimes we end up worse off.
We have to do something different this time.
Please share this Substack with anyone who you think would benefit from its content and, if you are able, become a paid subscriber or donate to my coffee fund to help keep the work going!
I’m curious how the news of the tornado-related closures is affecting students, families, and staff. Please reach out to me if you have information to share or if you just want to vent!
Email me: cityreformstl@gmail.com
You’ll hear more from me soon!