St. Paul’s school board has three new members and a new leadership team as the state’s second-largest public school district faces a challenging year.

Newly elected board members Yusef Carrillo, Carlo Franco, and Erica Valliant at the board’s first meeting of 2024 on Tuesday night took the oath of office for their four-year terms. Elections are nonpartisan, though all had the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party endorsement.

Franco and Valliant say their community ties and nonprofit experience will help guide their decision-making as board members. Carrillo has a background in education administration and served a temporary stint on the school board in 2021.

They replace former members Jeanelle Foster and Jessica Kopp, who did not seek reelection, and two-term member Zuki Ellis, who did not win re-election in November.

Leadership team

In a series of unanimous votes on Tuesday, school board members selected their new leadership team. Board veteran Halla Henderson is the new chair, replacing former chair Jim Vue, who remains on the board in a director role.

Uriah Ward, who is serving his second term on the board will serve as vice chair, replacing Kopp. Carrillo will serve as the new treasurer and Valliant will serve as clerk.

Chauntyll Allen, who was elected to a second term in November, will serve as a director, as will Franco.

St. Paul Public Schools faces significant challenges in the months ahead. Teacher contract negotiations are in mediation once again as an estimated $150 million budget shortfall looms as pandemic-era federal aid dries up.

Back in November when negotiations were still public, district and union positions on pay and other programs were close to $100 million apart. Teachers nearly went on strike in 2021, with the district just minutes from canceling classes when a deal was reached.

Meanwhile, enrollment is down as costs continue to grow. Last year the district had 33,000 students, down 4,000 from a decade ago.

Parents are concerned about safety issues in schools, and charter schools, including ones that cater to specific ethnic groups, are competing with the district for students.

Members of the school board last year approved a $1 billion budget, the district’s biggest in history.

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