Dr. Howard Fields, the newly installed superintendent of the Ferguson-Florissant School District, told the Ferguson City Council that a large gap between taxes levied and taxes actually collected has contributed to the district's current budget shortfall.
Fields said the district budgeted local revenues on the order of $65 million for the 2023-24 fiscal year but collected about $54 million, a difference he described as "a little over $8,000,000." He briefed the council on enrollment, revenue sources and spending, and invited the public to a series of financial workshops beginning the next day.
Fields said enrollment reported to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education stood at 8,778 for the metric he displayed. He said roughly 85% of school revenue typically goes to salaries and benefits and that the district currently relies in part on purchased services when openings cannot be filled by employees. "If you are looking for a job, the Ferguson-Florissant School District is hiring," Fields said.
Councilman Cassell asked a specific question about the gap between levied and collected taxes. Fields replied that collections depend on taxpayer payment and on outstanding protests of assessed values; he said some protested assessments can remain unresolved for years and that those disputes reduce near-term collections.
Fields announced the district has formed a finance-and-budget committee and said the first finance work session would be available on YouTube for those who cannot attend in person. He asked residents with financial expertise or interest to apply to the committee through a QR code he displayed.
No formal council action on school funding was taken at the meeting. The presentation closed with an invitation for residents to attend the district's finance workshops and to complete interest forms for the new advisory committee.