Natalie Vowell - St. Louis Board of Education Member

In 2021, I walked out of Labor & Delivery into a re-election campaign, during a pandemic, with a brand new tiny human being, vowing to improve our City's schools so that he would thrive there. I had spent much of my first term on the Board of Education of the City of St. Louis building bridges with the Missouri School Boards Association, the existing Special Administrative Board, and rallying citizens to help SLPS regain elected governance. In July of 2019, we did it!

Since being elected in 2017, I am proud to have served Our City and Our Schools for the past nearly eight years, and to have been part of the elected team that regained local control for SLPS, even when so many people thought it wasn't possible.

I wish the remaining and incoming board members the best of luck in seeking solid governance practices that work for them, the District's leadership, educators, and—most importantly—our students and families, so that our district can maintain accreditation and our board members will continue to be chosen democratically, by The People of St. Louis City.

When my term expires, I will remain available to citizens and school board members as the fight continues for an excellent public education system that serves ALL St. Louis children.

Here are some great resources for families in search of reading materials that help young learners build literacy skills and expand their libraries at home.

5 ways St. Louis families can access free books for kids Whether you’re a parent, guardian, or educator, these organizations and programs can serve you and the children in your life as they’re learning to read.

Update: The phone lines are now open and functioning. Please expect slightly longer wait times in some instances.

Original notice: Due to a telephone outage this morning, our district's phone lines are currently unable to receive incoming calls.

While we are still able to make outgoing calls, we apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Our provider is aware of the issue, and we are working closely with them to resolve the problem as soon as possible.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Thank you to everyone who has been tagging, texting, emailing, and calling me with questions regarding changes and challenges in our public schools. Today, I went to the Post-Dispatch to pick up paper copies of all recent articles pertaining to St. Louis Public Schools to collect them all in one thread.

Please feel free to express your thoughts and questions in the comments. I am committed to transparency to the fullest possible degree. However, please understand, I cannot legally or ethically speak publicly or privately about any personnel matters (nor can any other board member).

For any families or citizens who are unaware of current goings-on in SLPS or don't have access to articles the Post-Dispatch is publishing about the Board and District leadership, I wanted to make that accessible for you all. Photos and publication dates of each article are posted below.

Happy Freedom Day from Saint Louis Public Schools! Learn more about the history of Juneteenth at www.SLPS.org/Juneteenth.

UPDATE: At 3:30pm 05/25/24, I contacted the water department (again) to confirm the water now running to our faucets was clean, and spoke to Water Commissioner Curt Skouby to request a communication policy review that accounts for an equity-based approach. It was absolutely inexcusable to leave hundreds of Westside/Northside residents wondering why our water was off and whether it was safe once it was finally back on. 

UPDATE: It's 9:30 PM, and water service has still not been fully restored to Mark Twain/I-70 Industrial, and possibly other areas. There is now water flowing in the streets while they attempt to flush hydrants, and residents are still without running water (or information). I called the Water Department after hours line 314.633.9032 (again) for an update. There is a 36-inch main break along Goodfellow from at least Stratford to Sherry (possibly farther), and there has still been no official communication via any City website or text bulletins. They have not yet bothered testing our water for contaminants or issuing a boil advisory. This lack of precaution and lack of communication is unacceptable.

FYI: There is a City of St. Louis Water main break on Goodfellow at Natural Bridge since this morning around 2:30am. The Water Department says the break is on Goodfellow but no knowledge of how far. There have been no website updates yet regarding whether there will be a boil advisory.

FYI: There is a City of St. Louis Water main break on Goodfellow at Natural Bridge since this morning around 2:30am. The Water Department says the break is on Goodfellow but no knowledge of how far. There have been no website updates yet regarding whether there will be a boil advisory.

Jean Kuczka, 2023 Citizen Honors Single Act of Heroism Awardee Jean Kuczka was selected for her singular act of heroism on October 24, 2022, when she stood in front of her students at Central Visual and Performing Arts H...

Very cool program!

Southeast Mo. construction class gains hands-on learning with career and technology building expansion Not many high school students can say they helped build their new classroom.

Just voted at the library on my way out of town for a Missouri School Boards' Association meeting, in my Saint Louis Public Schools official jacket. No lines, no hassle. Feeling civically proud today!

Choosing a new superintendent is the most critical job the Board of Education has, and we welcome your input as we arrive at a final decision. Please watch the candidate videos and participate in offering feedback. Thank you, and I look forward to hearing from the community to select our next SLPS leader!