Ferguson-Florissant board tables amended 2024–25 budget after finance presentation shows roughly $8 million operating shortfall

The Ferguson-Florissant School District Board of Education on May 20 delayed action on the district’s amended 2024–25 budget after staff reported the district is deficit spending and trustees requested more detailed backup documents.

District finance staff told trustees the district projects about $146 million in operating revenues and roughly $154 million in operating expenditures for 2024–25, producing an operating-year shortfall of about $7.9 million. Dr. Singleton said the operating fund balance stood at about $10,900,000 and the district’s overall ending fund balance (all funds) is projected to be roughly $19 million to $20 million as of June 30.

The presentation stressed that the operating fund — fund 11 (general) and fund 20 (teachers) combined — pays day‑to‑day salaries and benefits and cannot draw on restricted funds such as debt service or capital projects. “We are deficit spending,” Dr. Singleton told the board. He said auditors required ASBR adjustments that increased the reported starting fund balance to $27,525,953.94 while the district awaited DESE reapproval of the ASBR.

Trustees pressed staff on several drivers of the gap, including local tax collection rates, state assessed utility payments and unanticipated costs. Dr. Martin asked for clearer comparisons between the original adopted budget, the February amendment and the proposed May amendment; she said she could not approve an amendment without seeing the baseline the board was amending. Dr. Singleton said the original and both amended budgets are in the board packet (attached to the disbursements item) and offered to provide a clearer side‑by‑side summary.

Administrators also reported several revenue adjustments and risks: a recent deposit tied to protested property tax payments added about $1.2 million to projected revenues; state assessed utility reimbursements came in lower than expected (about $1.3 million versus a prior $1.6 million projection); and the district anticipates a potential reduction of roughly $393,000 in final ESSER reimbursements because of federal freezes on some reimbursements. Benefits and insurance costs have increased since February, and purchase services, transportation and utilities were cited as larger-than-projected expenditures.

Given new materials posted to the packet the morning of the meeting, trustees agreed to postpone both the amended budget vote and the operational disbursements item to allow additional review. “Is it possible that we can table this to next week?” Dr. Martin asked; after discussion the board agreed to hold the items for further review and to submit follow‑up questions to staff.

Board and staff said the district will present a preliminary 2025–26 budget by June 30 and continue to refine revenue and expenditure estimates. Trustees also asked staff to provide clearer fund‑by‑fund comparisons, identify one‑time versus recurring savings and circulate the specific lines that changed between February and May so members could review before the next meeting.

The board did not vote on or adopt the amended budget at the meeting; the item was tabled for further review and will return to the board with supplemental documents.

The board’s decision to pause action follows several months of review and a February amendment; administrators said they will update materials to make variances explicit and to show the original adopted budget, February amendment and May revised figures side by side.