St. Louis Public Schools committee seeks faster approvals for grants, fundraising and MOUs

St. Louis Public Schools governance committee members on Feb. 5 heard a plan from Erin Kane, the district’s director of partnerships and grants, to shorten the time it takes to apply for and finalize outside funding and partner agreements.

Kane proposed a staggered approval system so small, time‑sensitive grants can move quickly while larger, multi‑year awards still receive fuller review. "A lot of grants that are posted [are] 60 days or less, so we won't always have the opportunity when a grant arises to take it in front of the Board," Kane said, urging upfront alignment among finance, HR, school leadership and communications before staff submit applications. She said grants of roughly $50,000 and up — often multi‑year — should be reviewed at the superintendent level; microgrants, such as $5,000 classroom awards, could be approved locally.

Kane also described a one‑page school fundraising plan to coordinate requests across schools, the district and its foundation, outlining who is being asked for money, how funds will be used, timelines and planned media involvement. "This is really to build consistency and alignment across the system," Kane said.

On memoranda of understanding, Kane told the committee the current RFQ‑to‑board cycle can take about four months and suggested moving some MOUs to "items for action" at work sessions or using a monthly block action for templated, no‑cost provider agreements. "If we could reduce that approval process, it would free up time for us to do other work as well," Kane said, adding that nearly 200 organizations submitted for MOUs this year.

General counsel Kim Dutch and other members emphasized preserving legal and finance review for complex agreements while reducing unnecessary delay. Dutch said legal staff will be brought into higher‑value negotiations and emphasized the district’s interest in adopting standard templates where appropriate.

Kane said she will work with Charles, Dr. Berry and Dr. Henning and legal counsel to draft streamlined procedures and aims to return with proposals by the next work session.

The committee did not take a formal vote on the proposal; members expressed support and asked district staff to present more specific recommendations, including proposed thresholds and timelines.