Parents, staff tell St. Charles CUSD 303 board Fox Ridge Elementary is 'in a current state of crisis'

Multiple parents and volunteers urged the St. Charles CUSD 303 Board of Education on Oct. 14 to address a series of disruptive and, they say, unsafe incidents at Fox Ridge Elementary, saying frequent "reverse evacuations," physical incidents and limited staff support have harmed student learning and wellbeing.

At the meeting Carrie Anne Harry, a Fox Ridge parent, said that over the past month she has participated in meetings with district and school staff and that Fox Ridge has "found itself in a current state of crisis." Harry described repeated reverse evacuations that left "20 plus students who are sitting in the hallways" and said students were often moved into other classrooms without books or materials. She told the board, "This means that sometimes 3 to 4 times a day, 50 plus students are suffering by not getting proper instructional time," and added that, in her estimate, students were "potentially missing 300 minutes of academics per week." (Public speakers' comments were delivered during the meeting's public comment period.)

Parent Diane Faisick described scenes she said her child witnessed: "teachers' rocking chairs flipped over, the lunch cart knocked on his side, and lunches scattered across the floor." Faisick said students at early elementary grades have been alarmed and shaken by hearing screaming and witnessing physical altercations in hallways.

Alyssa McCarty and Kelly Shields, both Fox Ridge parents, told the board they had lost trust in the building's leadership after repeated incidents and what they described as limited communication from administrators. McCarty said she had been told administrators could not share details with parents for privacy reasons; she said parents are not asking for confidential details but for actionable information so they can support their children. Shields said she ultimately pulled both her daughters from their elementary school because one was "scared to be in that classroom." Several parents emphasized they were not criticizing classroom teachers and repeatedly praised educators while urging the board and district to provide more support.

Speakers requested specific changes and supports: more behavioral intervention staff, better crisis planning, more transparent communication with families, and restoration of targeted programs that provided one-on-one support. Suzanne Whittington urged the board to consider reinstating a previously canceled program called STRIVE, which she said had provided intensive academic and behavioral support and helped some students transition back into full classrooms.

Jessica Metz, who spoke about special education, said cuts to federal Office of Special Education Programs funding and local staff losses were contributing to strain in classrooms. Metz said she reviewed resignations on the personnel report and found that "7 out of 10 of those are paraprofessionals," and that her son had eloped from class "40 times in the month of September," removing staff time and attention from other students.

Parents and volunteers also asked for improved immediate safety tools. Harry and Heather Austin said teachers repeatedly requested classroom radios or walkie-talkies to summon help and that some requests had been denied, leaving teachers feeling vulnerable. Austin said that, "From my understanding, district policy and best practice suggests that each classroom should have access to a communication device to ensure a timely response to safety situations" and asked the board to review practices at Fox Ridge specifically.

School administration and the board heard the concerns but did not announce a new policy or immediate operational change during the meeting. Superintendent Dr. Gordon acknowledged the public comments during his superintendent update and invited follow-up. Later in the meeting, a board member requested a refresher for the board on "how some of the concerning situations are handled and why," noting some material may need to be discussed outside open session. Board members agreed there should be follow-up; the board asked administration to determine an appropriate format and schedule for a follow-up presentation or briefing.

Why this matters: Speakers described repeated disruptions that they say reduce instructional time, create fear among young students and contribute to teacher burnout. Several parents urged the board to restore targeted support programs and to provide clearer, more consistent responses from building leadership and the district.

The board did not take a formal vote on Fox Ridge operations or staff at the Oct. 14 meeting. The board signaled it will schedule additional information and a refresher for members about protocols and district responses to behavioral incidents; the format and timing of that follow-up were left to administration to propose.

Community members who raised these concerns urged parents, teachers and board members to treat the issue as urgent, saying they do not want to wait until more learning time is lost.