In the aftermath of the May 16 tornado that wreaked havoc on St. Louis schools, the St. Louis Public Schools (SLPS) board has approved a relocation plan for over 2,000 students affected by the natural disaster. The board voted 6-1 in favor of moving students from seven damaged schools to different facilities within the district, a plan that has undergone revisions due to pushback from teachers and staff unions over safety and logistics concerns.
Despite earlier dissent, the revised relocation proposal was unanimously approved on Monday night, aiming to ensure that all displaced students have a school to attend by August 18. This decision comes after the American Federation of Teachers Local 420, representing various school staff members, demanded to be included in discussions over the initial consolidation plan. These talks led to significant changes, such as Sumner High School students now being slated to move to the vacant Stevens Middle School, as reported by FOX 2 Now.
Under the new plan, elementary school relocations will go unchanged with Ashland students moving to Jefferson Elementary, Hickey to Walbridge Elementary, and Washington Montessori to Ames Elementary. For the higher grades, Beaumont career training programs will transfer to Clyde C. Miller, Soldan High will operate out of Gateway STEM, Yeatman-Liddell Middle School will shift to Blewett, which houses an alternative program, and Fresh Start will now be hosted by Stevens Middle School, according to a St. Louis Public Radio report.
Local 420 President Ray Cummings played a critical role in the negotiations, stating, "I think we all recognize that when it comes to safety, it's better to err on the side of caution," he told First Alert 4. Cummings advocated for students to maintain their school identities, which resulted in "separate staffing" where teachers will follow their students to the new locations and students will be cohorted by the school they originate from.
The logistical challenges don't end with the approval of the relocation plan. With the start of the school year looming, the district is now to hastily finalize transportation arrangements. This includes shuttling students who used to walk to their now-damaged schools and using taxis funded by McKinney-Vento federal allocations for those displaced outside city limits, as informed by St. Louis Public Radio. The process has been described by board member Ben Conover as "chaotic at best," a sentiment echoed by others on the board grappling with last-minute decision-making.
As assurance to parents and the local community, SLPS has stated that once the tornado-damaged schools are repaired, students will return to their original schools. This commitment comes after some parents expressed concerns about the temporary nature of the changes. "They totally agreed that students would go back to where they were," Cummings reassured in an interview with First Alert 4. As SLPS takes steps towards recovery, the focus remains on creating a stable and secure learning environment for its students amidst the aftermath of the tornado.
