ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Public Schools is under scrutiny after an audit revealed chronic issues with recordkeeping and financial mismanagement within the district.
The I-Team delved through 175 pages of the school district’s latest audit, giving insight into the challenges within St. Louis Public Schools. What it uncovers is concerning.
This comes as parents worry about problems like transportation.
“We don’t know anything and it’s kind of weird," said DeJanel Freeman, a concerned SLPS parent.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones demands transparency.
“I think our parents and families deserve answers," said Jones, who requested State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick conduct another audit of the district. Fitzpatrick announced Thursday that his office will conduct an audit that will begin Aug. 13.
The latest audit of SLPS’ 2022-23 school year, conducted by an independent consulting firm, sheds light on long-standing problems with recordkeeping and financial processes. The district was obligated to submit the audit to the state by the end of last year but missed the deadline by months. The delay prompted the state to temporarily withhold about $3.7 million in funding.
According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, St. Louis Public Schools submitted its fiscal year 2023 audit on April 10. All withheld state funds were released to the district that same month on April 26. No other audits have been late over the past five years.
St. Louis Public Schools issued a statement Saturday, saying:
The audit of the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, was delivered to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in April 2024.
In a board of education meeting prior to the delivery of the audit, Chief Financial Officer, Angie Banks pointed to a number of retirements and some staff turnover that slowed the response process which caused it to be submitted past the deadline. These audits are always submitted to DESE and made available on the Saint Louis Public Schools website for review.
These types of audits, while time-consuming for our staff, are always helpful both for transparency and identifying areas for improvement. SLPS is working to take corrective actions laid out in the report.
The audit underscores issues with maintaining and reporting financial records. Industry sources including Chester Asher, founder of the nonprofit Coalition for STL Kids and a lifelong educator, said that while these findings stop short of indicating fraud, they raise serious questions about accountability within the district—problems often aggravated by high staff turnover.
And yet another finding: gaps in staffing and oversight. In response, the district is required to draft a “corrective action plan.”
Among the most significant steps? Hiring a new “director of real estate,” a move that could carry major financial consequences.
This all comes after Superintendent Keisha Scarlett was recently placed on temporary leave. It comes amid a projected $35 million budget deficit, fueling concerns her leave may be connected to issues surrounding spending, hiring and bus transportation.
Industry sources say the responsibility for this financial and operational crisis rests on the school board. The start of the school year for the district is Aug. 19.