St. Louis Public Schools has struggled to manage, advertise and sell its large portfolio of vacant school buildings, according to a new report from Missouri State Auditor Scott Fitzpatrick.
Many of the district’s buildings have sat vacant for over two decades and have become corners of blight within the city, garnering criticism from city residents who want to see them torn down or redeveloped.
The report states the district has not sold properties in compliance with state law, did not have a broker in place from 2022 to July 2025 and failed to maintain an updated surplus property website — which made it harder for prospective buyers to access information about the properties…