TOWN AND COUNTRY, Mo. — Nearly two months after she was abruptly placed on administrative leave, the superintendent of the largest school district in the St. Louis area stepped down from her position on Friday, according to an internal memo.
The Special School District of St. Louis County, which serves nearly 25,000 students, said in an announcement dated Dec. 15 that the district and Dr. Elizabeth Keenan have “mutually agreed to a separation of their employment relationship, effective immediately.”
The district previously cited an "internal personnel matter" as the reason Keenan was placed on leave on Oct. 27. A separate internal memo issued that day reminded district employees about anti-retaliation policies and said any employee experiencing retaliation should contact the director of employee relations.
Editor's note: The above video was published on Oct. 30.
Jennifer Henry, the district's executive director of communications, previously said she could not share any additional "confidential personnel information" regarding Keenan's leave.
Keenan joined the district in July 2019 after less than two years as the head of the special education department for the Chicago Public Schools. A report in the Chicago Sun-Times said her exit "caught advocates off guard."
Soon after Keenan was named to the post, the Illinois State Board of Education began investigating changes to the special education program it believed were illegal and “driven by budgetary concerns," the newspaper reported.
A subcommittee of the Special School District board met on the day Keenan was put on leave to update several policies before the full board met in a special closed session to discuss the "hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting (of) any employee of the district" and "personnel records, performance ratings and records pertaining to employees," according to online agendas.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Keenan made $264,000 during the 2022-23 school year.
Dr. Michael Maclin, who has been serving as acting superintendent since Keenan was placed on leave, will continue in the role. Maclin, the district's executive director of diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility, joined the district in 2020 after stints as a principal in the Parkway School District and the School District of University City.
Maclin earned a doctorate in leadership in teaching and learning, a master's degree in educational administration, a master's degree in guidance and counseling, and a bachelor's degree in communications from Missouri Baptist University.
The district said it would share another update in the coming week as the board "finalizes next steps regarding the superintendent role."
The Special School District was formed in 1957 after St. Louis County voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum establishing a countywide local school district to support the educational needs of children with disabilities.