Ferguson‑Florissant board approves mergers, closures and staffing freezes in $10.5 million cost‑cutting package

Ferguson‑Florissant School District trustees on Wednesday approved a set of budget reductions and reorganizations intended to close an estimated $10.5 million gap, voting to merge a STEAM middle program into the STEAM high campus, close Innovation High School, reassign the Mark Twain Restoration and Wellness Center program and freeze several central‑office positions as part of a preliminary plan presented by district administrators.

The board approved the measures during a meeting at the district administration center in Hazelwood after more than two hours of public comment from teachers, parents and students urging the trustees to protect assistant principals and music programs. Administrators told the board the district’s unrestricted fund balance stood at 11.29 percent and that preliminary projections show the district could need up to $25 million in short‑term borrowing to cover cash flow through the end of 2025 if no further steps are taken.

Why it matters: the district says it must reduce operating costs to stabilize finances and meet state timelines. Trustees and administrators framed the decisions as necessary to preserve core instruction while they develop longer‑term options such as consolidating underused buildings, selling surplus property, and reconfiguring grade spans. The board also announced the start of a superintendent search and scheduled community input.

Administrators opened the meeting with a preliminary budget presentation and repeated several times that the figures were estimates. "These are just preliminary numbers that will change," said Doctor Singleton while presenting revenue and expenditure estimates and fund‑balance calculations. The presentation showed $150 million in total preliminary revenues and about $146 million in expenditures across all funds, with the district looking to raise its unrestricted reserve gradually rather than attempt all reductions in a single year.

Public comments and community pressure shaped debate. Dozens of speakers — including teachers and parents — urged the board to keep assistant principals, protect orchestra and other music classes, and avoid layoffs that would undermine schools’ capacity to manage behavior and support struggling students. Amanda and other commenters emphasized local impacts; Amy Trippetti, orchestra director at Berkeley…