DR. DIANA M. BOURISAW INTRODUCED AS INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT

St. Louis – Dr. Diana M. Bourisaw was officially introduced today as the Interim Superintendent by the St. Louis Board of Education.

“Today is a new day for the St. Louis Public Schools,” said Veronica O’Brien, President of the Board of Education. “I am proud to introduce Dr. Bourisaw to you today and I’m sure the community will quickly learn what a dynamic person she is,” O’Brien said.

Dr. Bourisaw says her first priority is getting all schools open on Aug. 28. “I can assure parents, students, and community leaders that every classroom will have a teacher, there will be a desk for every student, and all the buses will be running,” said Bourisaw.

“There are three critical areas that must be addressed in this district, including:

• The declining enrollment. The enrollment has decreased by 10,000, from 44,100 students in 2000 to 34,000 students today;

• Academic achievement among students. While performance within St. Louis Public Schools is higher than charter schools, we can and will do better; and,

• A looming budget crisis. District revenue has been significantly reduced in the past three fiscal years. At the same time, the costs of goods and services have increased. We must get our fiscal house in order.”

Prior to accepting the position of Interim Superintendent of the St. Louis Public Schools, Dr. Bourisaw served as the President of Education Options, a Missouri consulting firm specializing in organizational, policy, accountability, and financial reviews focusing on high poverty districts. She has also served as the Executive Vice President of DHR International, an executive search and consulting firm, since 2003.

She was the interim State Supervisor for the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, a position in which she oversaw accreditation reviews for school districts across the state.

Dr. Bourisaw has served as a superintendent of the Fox C-6 School District, an 11,000-student school district in Arnold Missouri, and as Area Superintendent in the Sacramento City Unified School District, a 50,000 school district in Sacramento, California. During the time she was in Fox C-6, the district realized improved student achievement at all levels, the dropout rate reduced by half, increased district fund balances and increased student attendance. In Sacramento, Dr. Bourisaw was the area Superintendent responsible for 16 schools with an enrollment of 14,000 students