The statement below was delivered by SLPS representatives to the City of St. Louis TIF Commission for last night’s meeting regarding the developer Paul McKee’s $390M TIF request:
“The St. Louis Public School District, the Special Administrative Board and its appointees to the City of St. Louis Tax Increment Financing Commission fully recognize the importance of major economic development projects, including the proposal being discussed today, to the future of the City and the entire St. Louis region. We know that projects of this magnitude stimulate the local economy during development and after completion.
This project, specifically, will require a significant investment in public infrastructure – streets, sidewalks, sewer, water and school buildings. Renovated or newly constructed school buildings will be a necessary part of the public infrastructure investment for this project. This project will attract new families to the area, and their children will need schools. For this reason, the St. Louis Public Schools, the Special Administrative Board and its appointees to the City of St. Louis Tax Increment Financing Commission encourage this commission to fully support the use of infrastructure funds within the TIF Zone for renovation or new construction of St. Louis Public School District facilities. We encourage this Commission to recommend that an agreement between the St. Louis Public Schools and the developer for new construction or substantial renovation of school buildings be a part of the Commission’s final project plan before it is submitted to the Board of Aldermen for approval.”
This story aired on CNN today. A charter school in Baltimore is having incredible success. Thanks, in part, to its dedicated teachers. The teachers at the KIPP Ujima School have even refused pay increases and voluntarily work every other Saturday to help their students be the best they can me.
But now the teachers union in Baltimore is forcing them to take more pay and stop working on the weekends. As a result, the school is being forced to fire 5 teachers and end field trips.
Rick Sullivan, the CEO of St. Louis Public Schools, appointed by then-Gov. Matt Blunt
The Special Administrative Board of the St. Louis Public Schools will hear recommendations by MGT of America, Inc. on the future use of district schools during the board meeting on Thursday, January 29, 6:00 p.m., at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Ave.
All community members are invited to attend this open meeting to hear this much-anticipated report firsthand. However, due to the anticipated length of the MGT presentation, there will be no public comments taken at this meeting.
The District will hold two special community forums for public comments – Wednesday, February 4, from 6:00p.m. – 8:00p.m. at Roosevelt High School, 3230 Hartford St., and Saturday February 7, from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at Vashon High School, 3035 Cass Ave.
Public comments may also be submitted via the Internet starting Friday, January 30, by visiting www.slps.org. The District will accept comments on the MGT presentation via the Internet through February 8.
Retired employees of St. Louis Public Schools have made a third request for the $20 million owed to their pension fund for 2008.
In a letter dated August 6, Andrew Clark, executive director of the Public School Retirement System, also asks the governor-appointed CEO of the district Rick Sullivan for a cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) for retirees.
If a 2.8% COLA is awarded, the SLPS annual regular contribution for 2008 is $20,538,258 (10.17% of covered compensation). If a COLA is not awarded, the minimum SLPS contribution for 2008 is $19,091,518 (9.45% of covered compensation). Neither amount includes reimbursements due for payments under the SLPS Sick Leave Conversion Program.
In his letter, Clark says this is the third request since January that he’s requested for SLPS to address this matter. To no avail.
Public notice is hereby given that a meeting of the Special Administrative Board of the Transitional School District of the City of St. Louis will be held in the District’s Administration Building, 801 North 11th Street, St. Louis, Missouri, at 6:00 P.M., on August 14, 2008, to consider and act upon the matters on the following tentative agenda and such other matters as may be presented at the meeting and determined to be appropriate for discussion at that time:
Resolution authorizing the defeasance and redemption of approximately $4,385,000 aggregate principal amount of the District’s outstanding General Obligation Bonds, Series 2006A, and authorizing certain other actions in connection therewith
Other matters
The meeting will be open to the public.
DATED: August 11, 2008.
RICK SULLIVAN,
Chief Executive Officer of the
Special Administrative Board
