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ST. LOUIS — At least 11 public schools in the city are likely to close for good next fall, based on a proposal from ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Public Schools Superintendent Kelvin Adams.

The latest round of closures in the district was postponed last spring when schools nationwide pivoted to remote learning during the pandemic.

Adams presented his recommendation to close four high schools, one middle school and six elementary schools to the School Board Tuesday. A virtual town hall will be held for public comment on Dec. 8, and the board is expected to vote on his proposal Dec. 15.

The number of students in SLPS has steadily declined since peaking at 115,543 in 1967. Last year, enrollment fell below 20,000 for the first time since the late 1800s. The coronavirus pandemic contributed to a much steeper dive this fall, as enrollment dropped by 9% and the district lost more students than any other in the state.

There are now 18,248 students enrolled in kindergarten through 12th grade, down from 19,801 last year, according to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. An additional 11,400 city students attend charter schools, which are publicly funded but operated by separate organizations.

Adams’ proposal would close , , , , and elementary schools, , and , , and high schools. Seven of the 11 schools are in north ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½.

Carnahan High is the largest school on the potential closure list, with 323 students. It is also the newest, built 17 years ago on south Broadway near St. Alexius Hospital. The school would transition to a middle school under the proposal.

Adams has overseen 17 building closures since becoming superintendent of the district in 2008. The last major round of school closures was in 2010, when the district went from 86 to 75 buildings. In addition to low enrollment, other factors in the recommendations for closure include a school’s physical condition and neighborhood population trends. There are already 18 former school buildings for sale on the district’s surplus properties list.

Before 2011, ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ was always the largest school district by student population in the state. It now stands as fourth-largest, behind Springfield, North Kansas City and Rockwood. At least two dozen of the district’s 68 school buildings have fewer than 200 students, considered a threshold for viability.

Rockwood surpassed SLPS’ enrollment in 2018. The west ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ County district’s 20,200 students attend 29 schools — fewer than half the number of schools in the city.

Any school closures in SLPS will not take this year’s lower enrollments into account, because district leaders expect many of those families to return next fall, particularly in the primary grades. Still, the pandemic has exacerbated the shortage of teachers, substitutes, social workers, nurses and other support staff. In high schools, it is difficult for the district to offer Advanced Placement courses and extracurricular activities with low enrollments, Adams said.

If the 11 schools are approved for closure, the budget saving could pay for nurses, social workers and security in every remaining building, Adams said.

About 23% of the district’s students were proficient in English and 19% were proficient in math in 2019, according to state data. At Clay Elementary in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the district’s smallest school with 128 students, 2% of students tested proficient in English and 4% in math.

The historic Sumner High in the Ville neighborhood fought off earlier threats of closure with help from supportive neighbors and alumni. The school dates to 1875 and is considered the first African-American high school west of the Mississippi River. Last year, the four-time state champion football team was forced to merge with Soldan High because of a shortage of players. The high school has 193 students this year, in a building that famed architect William Ittner designed to educate 1,100.

Another Ittner building, the original Cleveland High School in Dutchtown, closed in 2006. The current Cleveland NJROTC high school building on Kemper Avenue is adjacent to Central VPA, which occupies the former Southwest High building on South Kingshighway.

Beaumont was the last traditional high school to close in ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½, in 2014.

2015: SUMNER HIGH SCHOOL CELEBRATES 140 YEARS WITH GALA AT THE CHASE