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ST. LOUIS — The interim superintendent of St. Louis Public Schools received a two-year job guarantee on the same day she was cited in an audit for questionable credit card spending.

Millicent Borishade’s contract states if she serves until Sept. 1 and is replaced with someone else she can return to her previous job as deputy superintendent or a similar role for a minimum of two years and keep her current annual salary of $230,000.

The school board can vote to fire Borishade with or without cause at any time. If she is fired without cause, she is entitled to six months’ severance pay.

The contract was approved by the SLPS board earlier this month and became effective Dec. 10, the day the district released an audit citing Borishade for $10,863 in questionable expenses including a 16-day trip to Japan with an undated authorization form, hotel rooms above the $350 limit and charging for meals that exceeded her per-diem payment.

The audit did not report additional double-dipping by Borishade for receiving $825 from SLPS for her per-diem in Japan while daily breakfasts and dinners were included in the cost of the tour.  

There were also charges to Borishade’s SLPS credit card of $332 at the Armory entertainment venue, $438 at Top Golf, $788 at Pasta House and $726 at Pappy’s Smokehouse in St. Louis and $565 at Sam’s Club in Maplewood, according to credit card statements obtained by the Post-Dispatch through a public records request.

Borishade replaced ex-Superintendent Keisha Scarlett, who was placed on leave in July after giving jobs and contracts to friends and making at least $88,500 in questionable credit card charges in her one-year tenure, according to the audit by the Armanino accounting firm. Scarlett was fired in September.

In addition to an ongoing state audit, federal and local law enforcement officials are investigating the district, according to the president of the American Federation of Teachers St. Louis Local 420.

“It is my understanding that the FBI, US Attorney, and Circuit Attorney are investigating and criminal charges may be forthcoming due to federal funds being involved,” Ray Cummings wrote Friday in an email to union members. “The actions of a ‘rogue’ employee should not impact day-to-day operations of the district and does not impact any agreements between our union and management.”

Scarlett, 50, who was chief academic officer of Seattle Public Schools, became superintendent of SLPS in July 2023 with an annual salary of $268,000. Under Scarlett, the school district’s general operating budget plunged from a surplus of $17 million to a projected deficit of $35 million, which is mostly allocated for staff raises and extra transportation costs.

On Wednesday, Borishade told the academics department that she planned to cut $2.5 million from the district’s budget including $1.6 million for new curriculum.

Borishade came to SLPS with Scarlett from Seattle as one of nine new administrators connected to the ex-superintendent.

Six of the nine administrators were terminated soon after Scarlett’s departure, leaving Borishade, Allison Deno, SLPS’ chief of schools who makes $200,000 and Deno’s husband, Timothy Shultz, contract compliance manager making $140,000.

Borishade holds a temporary state superintendent certificate that expires in October and Deno obtained a four-year superintendent certificate in November, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.