最新杏吧原创

ST. LOUIS 鈥� Students at KIPP Inspire Academy switched to virtual learning Thursday after the building鈥檚 owner 最新杏吧原创 Public Schools failed to replace the heating system in time for cold weather.

KIPP leaders informed SLPS of the heating problem in September, according to executive director Kelly Garrett. An inspection Sept. 9 found the boiler system was beyond repair.

At its Oct. 8 meeting, the 最新杏吧原创 Board of Education approved spending $523,815 to replace the school鈥檚 two boilers 鈥� and revise the district鈥檚 2015 agreement with KIPP to try to recoup the cost from the charter school network.

鈥淗ave we made sure these kids are not going to be freezing in school, regardless of where they go to school?鈥� SLPS board member Emily Hubbard asked operations chief Square Watson during the meeting.

On Wednesday, SLPS officials pushed the project鈥檚 completion date back eight to 10 weeks, or late January, Garrett said. Watson and interim Superintendent Millicent Borishade did not respond Thursday to questions about the situation.

In the district鈥檚 weekly spotlight sent to media Thursday, SLPS brand strategy manager Carl B. Mitchell said the timeline for the new heating system will be determined by the vendor, Mechanical Solutions, once the parts are received.

鈥淲e will continue to honor our commitment to keep students safe and warm at all of our facilities,鈥� reads the email.

Without the new boiler system in place, 鈥淜IPP will be without reliable heating, risking instructional delays and potential building closure due to health and safety concerns during the winter months,鈥� according to Watson鈥檚 to the school board.

The 425 KIPP Inspire students in fifth through eighth grades will attend classes online Thursday and Friday when temperatures are expected to drop below 40 degrees. KIPP hired an HVAC company to install a temporary heating solution and will give families an update before students return from fall break on Dec. 2.

KIPP pays no rent on the former Pruitt School at 1212 N. 22nd St. in north 最新杏吧原创. In exchange, KIPP鈥檚 performance data including test scores count toward SLPS鈥� accreditation status with the state.

鈥淲e are committed to collaborating with SLPS leadership to ensure that KIPP students at KIPP Inspire Academy have access to a well-maintained school facility in good working order, as outlined in the agreement between KIPP 最新杏吧原创 and SLPS,鈥� Garrett said in a statement.

The SLPS board approved the new heating system with the stipulation that a revised agreement be presented to the board within 30 days, or in time for their next meeting. The agreement was not on the Nov. 12 agenda.

鈥淢y motion, at least, is not saying that anybody is going to do without heat,鈥� SLPS board member Natalie Vowell said at the October meeting. 鈥淲e鈥檒l go ahead and do that, but we want to look at not going into debt for KIPP in the future.鈥�

The district鈥檚 general operating budget for 2024-2025 estimates a $35 million deficit, largely due to increased transportation costs from multiple vendors after main bus company terminated its contract with SLPS last spring.

Vashon affected by water main break

Teachers reported another safety concern Wednesday at Vashon High School, where students and staff had no access to drinking water for most of the day. A boil water advisory was issued late Tuesday for several neighborhoods including Jeff-Vander-Lou because of a water main break.

鈥淪ince the order went out (Tuesday), school and district leaders had plenty of time to figure out a solution, whether that be getting bottled water or moving to a virtual school day,鈥� one teacher told the Post-Dispatch.

Students were given small bottles of water during the last class period which starts at 12:40 p.m., according to the teacher.

鈥淚t is not teachers鈥�, students鈥�, or families鈥� jobs to make sure students have access to safe drinking water during the school day. That鈥檚 on school and district leaders, and what we saw today was incompetence,鈥� she said.