St. Louis Public Schools suspends credit cards after spending more than $1.6 million – St. Louis Post-Dispatch

ST. LOUIS — St. Louis Public Schools leaders have suspended all district-issued credit cards after faculty members spent $1.6 million during former Superintendent Keisha Scarlett's one-year term.

The majority of the charges on the 21 cards were for travel, food and entertainment expenses, according to U.S. bank statements from July 2023 to July 2024 obtained Thursday by the Post-Dispatch through a records request. , was not related to schoolwork or work.

The statement revealed spending on airline upgrades, luxury hotels and restaurants from Hawaii to Georgia. There are indications of multiple violations of the district's travel policies, including airline tickets for staff members' families. The spending includes charges at adult facilities such as $700 at a Hooters in Columbia, Missouri, $700 at Up Bar in St. Louis and $540 at Dick's Last Resort in Dallas.

An investigative report released Tuesday into spending practices under Scarlett found that just four of the credit cards the district issued to the former superintendent and three other employees who reported to her totaled $260,500. It became clear that a charge had been made. Additional cards were assigned to seven SLPS departments and staff to Interim Deputy Finance Director Stephanie Terry. Victoria Glaspie, former finance director; Cheryl VanNoy, former Chief Information Officer; Nichelle Hunter, Director of Financial Management. and Shameika Henry, school board secretary.

Five of the cards are designated as “travel.”

School Board Vice President Matt Davis said the district had three credit cards before Scarlett arrived in July 2023, but was not aware of any additional cards being issued. Ta. Davis said all 21 credit cards will be suspended until new monitoring protections are put in place, following the recommendations of a report by accounting firm Armanino.

The only clear student spending disclosed in the statement is about $23,000 for 17 Vashon High School basketball players, coaches and chaperones to travel to Hawaii for a tournament in December 2023. is. According to SLPS administrators, the school repaid SLPS from its activity fund.

Other expenses included on your statement include:

• $6,740 for 3 visits to TopGolf in St. Louis.
• Stays at Stony Creek Inn in Columbia, Margaritaville in Osage Beach and Holiday Inn in South Carolina cost $12,000 for two weeks in March and April.
• He gave thousands of dollars worth of airline tickets to the families of current and former staff members, including Henry, Nikka Lemons and Jisly Saleem, as well as the wife of board member Tracy Hikes, who took trips to Oakland, San Diego and Dallas. The Rev. Charles Norris, pastor of St. James AME Church in St. Louis, received a $700 airline ticket to attend the “Black Love Is Liberation” conference hosted by Kingmakers in Oakland with several SLPS representatives. . The group's website quotes Scarlett as saying: It is not my intention to alienate anyone or disapprove of their needs. ”
• The cost to the Marcus Theater was $16,532.
• Charged $5,000 over five days at a Houston restaurant in April.
• Three visits to Bubba Gump and other restaurants in Las Vegas in July for $700.
• Glaspie and Terry each charged more than $1,000 for separate stays at the Pointe Hilton in Phoenix and more than $5,000 for separate stays at the Gaylord National Resort in Maryland.
• One of the cards labeled “Travel” contained a charge to Richmond Heights Schnucks for $3,272 for one month. www.walmart.com and Dollar Tree in Collinsville.

After arriving at SLPS in July 2023, Scarlett made more than $88,500 in suspicious charges on her designated credit card for meals, gifts, personal care and travel, Armanino's report said. Scarlett was placed on leave after a year on the job and was made redundant in September.

A comprehensive audit of SLPS, which Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick began in August, is expected to take another year to complete.