Several citywide elected officials joined today to bring attention to the effort to get St. Louis kids to attend the first day of school on August 28.
Gathered in the rotunda of City Hall, the group included most of the city’s at-large officeholders. But noticeably absent was Mayor Francis Slay.
After unprecedented influence over the city’s school district for three years, Slay has been a vocal critic of the new school board majority and has even called on the state to move in to take over the troubled district. Reporters were told that Slay — as well as Aldermanic Board Pres. Jim Shrewsbury, the second highest ranking city official — was on vacation.
Comptroller Darlene Green told reporters not to read too much into the absence of the mayor or a representative from his office. “This message is not about the adults today. It’s about the children,” she said.
“Though there are troubled times in the district, we want the children to know that the elected leadership in the City of St. Louis stands behind them 100%,” said Green.
