Dive Brief:
- St. Louis Public Schools will close nine schools, dropping the district's total from 61 to 52 schools as of the 2027-28 school year under a plan approved by its Board of Education on Nov. 10.
- The district pegged the move to a significant enrollment drop of 58.5% — or 25,303 students — between 1991 and 2025. In addition, the district is still recovering from enrollment disruptions because of families displaced by tornados that hit the area in May 2025.
- It's unclear how much the closures will save, but an earlier proposal last year to close over half of the district's schools was expected to net $182.4 million in savings by 2030-31. Districts across the nation are weighing school closures or reconfigurations to stave off budget shortfalls resulting from declining enrollments.
Dive Insight:
Before the 4-3 vote to close the nine schools, St. Louis board members discussed the reasons for the move, including a need to consolidate resources by shuttering underenrolled schools and to improve student outcomes. Some board members blamed private school choice and historic underinvestments in local public schools for the position the district finds itself in.
The vote took place during a marathon meeting where board members considered several other recommendations to the district’s Future Ready SLPS initiative. That plan addresses financial stability, academic improvements, operational efficiencies and boosting attendance.
The recommendations also cover school repurposing, grade level configurations, school designations, school start times, and expanded career and technical education opportunities. Many of the proposed changes would begin in the 2027-28 school year, with additional transitions planned for future years.
At Tuesday's meeting, board members decided to decline, postpone or gather additional information on some recommendations.
In a Nov. 11 message to the community Superintendent Myra Berry acknowledged that school closure decisions are "deeply personal."
"Our schools hold relationships, memories, and a powerful sense of belonging," Berry said. "Throughout the development and discussion of Future Ready, we heard concerns, disagreements, and different convictions about the best path forward. Those perspectives deserve our continued attention, and the voices of our community must help inform the work ahead."
Berry added that the district will now focus on turning the approved changes into "thoughtful, carefully coordinated plans" by working with the affected school communities, preparing for transitions and communicating with the community about the changes.
Earlier this year, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education downgraded St. Louis Public Schools to "provisionally accredited." The classification does not affect the operations of schools, Berry said in an undated message.
But it does mean the state "expects continued progress and sustained improvement in areas we have already identified and begun addressing — academic performance, financial stewardship, operational stability, and organizational culture," Berry said.
