St. Louis Language Immersion School Awards Honor to Former Board Member for Nearly Two Decades of Service
St. Louis, Mo. (October 28, 2026) After nearly 20 years of service and tremendous impact as a co-founding Board Member, St. Louis Language Immersion School (SLLIS) honored Vince Schoemehl with the SLLIS Spotlight award for his immense influence on education for children in St. Louis.
Schoemehl helped organize the Board of Directors in 2007 before SLLIS opened its doors to students. He then guided the new school through its first year of operations in 2009 and continued to provide critical financial and strategic leadership into the 2020s. Schoemehl played a vital role when SLLIS purchased its own facility in 2019, the building where it still exists today in Downtown West.
“Vince has been a champion for the city of St. Louis and educational initiatives within the city and wider region for a very long time,” Ed O’Neal, SLLIS founding Board Member and current Chair, said. “Vince’s unwavering commitment to public education within the city of St. Louis helped shape the very existence of SLLIS. As a co-founding Board Member, and for nearly two decades, Vince invested his time, expertise and wisdom in helping to build SLLIS into the school it is today. We are grateful for Vince’s many contributions to SLLIS, and he will forever be a part of the SLLIS community.”
Schoemehl served in many different facets on the Board of Directors, including on the Finance and Building and Grounds Committees, and he served several terms as Board Chair. Earlier this fall, Schoemehl concluded his service on the SLLIS Board to accept Governor Mike Kehoe’s appointment to serve as a member of the Missouri State Board of Education.
“Vince helped navigate intricate situations and laid the foundation for the long-term success of our students, teachers and staff at SLLIS,” SLLIS Superintendent Dr. Meghan Hill said. “Vince always had our students’ best interests at heart, and his commitment to our mission could be seen every single day. Vince went above and beyond to create opportunities for children and improve our school.”
About St. Louis Language Immersion School
St. Louis Language Immersion School was founded in 2009 and is a charter school serving Pre-K through 8th grade to the City of St. Louis. The school provides students with a global, dual language immersion education in French, Spanish or Chinese, taught by native speakers. This unique school was named the 2024 Best Public Charter School in Missouri and plays an essential role in the fabric of the St. Louis community. For more information, go to www.sllis.org.