St. Louis school board to weigh $3.3M transportation contract, refugee grant
The St. Louis Board of Education has a busy week ahead, with a $3.3 million transportation contract and a $229,634 refugee grant application on the agenda. However, minutes from recent meetings have not yet been published, so no decisions have been confirmed.
Transportation contract on the table
The board is scheduled to vote on a $3,302,000 agreement for alternative transportation for diverse learners and homeless students. The item appears on the Aug. 11 regular business meeting agenda as a contract with EverDriven and Via Transportation, and again on the Aug. 15 special meeting agenda as a memorandum of understanding with the Missouri Charter Public Schools Cooperative and Omnia. The agreement would run from Aug. 11, 2026, to June 30, 2027, and supports students with IEPs, 504 plans, McKinney-Vento, Safe Schools, and ESSA obligations.
Other consent items on Aug. 11
Also on the Aug. 11 agenda were several other consent items, including:
- An elevator modernization project at McKinley and Roosevelt schools with Otis Elevator, up to $471,407.20.
- Acceptance of a $1,994,737 21st Century grant for before- and after-school programs at Hodgens and Walbridge.
- Acceptance of a $239,952 School Age Community grant for Carver before- and after-school programs.
- A contract with Dell for up to $1,000,000 for district-wide technology purchases.
Committee meetings
Two board committees met recently. The Governance Committee met Aug. 13 via Zoom, with a routine agenda that included approving June 4 minutes and reviewing standard agenda changes. The Real Estate Committee met Aug. 17 to review property-related business, including a performance contractors presentation, Prop S updates, inventory sales and stabilization, and repurposing request-for-proposals requirements. A closed session followed the open meeting.
Upcoming work session on Aug. 25
The board will hold its monthly work session on Aug. 25, with an 18-item consent agenda. Notable items include:
- Authorizing a $229,634 Refugee Children School Impact Grant application.
- Approving up to $160,000 for new Finance Division workstations after flooding.
- Accepting a $62,500 in-kind food truck donation from Chartwells.
- Authorizing $60,000 for International Baccalaureate exams and membership.
- Approving a $23,650 contract with Washington University for the Math 314 program.
The work session will be preceded by a closed session at 5:30 p.m. at Central Office, 801 North 11th Street.
Coming up
- **Aug. 25, 2026** – Monthly Work Session (open session) and closed session, 5:30 p.m. at Central Office, 801 North 11th Street. The open session will include the consent agenda and a discussion of a tax rate hearing.
No minutes have been published for any of the recent meetings, so all items remain proposals until the board takes formal action.