Ferguson‑Florissant R‑II Superintendent Howard Fields outlined early actions from his first 100 days and a multi‑part plan to address the district's academic and fiscal challenges during a State of the District presentation on Nov. 5, 2025.

Fields said he is prioritizing three areas: reestablishing leadership structures and data collection, strengthening fiscal management and transparent communication, and elevating staff voice. "The first 100 were about listening, rebuilding trust, and restoring the foundation for progress," Fields said.

Why it matters: Fields told the Board of Education and the public the district is projected to deficit‑spend this fiscal year and that leaders must stop deficit spending and end reliance on the Tax Anticipation Note (TAN). To reach that goal, he said the district will target an unrestricted fund balance of about 21% and "strongly consider a tax levy increase and/or a bond issue very soon." He said a preliminary budget for the 2026–27 school year will be presented at the January board meeting.

Accountability and performance: Fields previewed the district's Annual Performance Report, saying Ferguson‑Florissant's overall APR score rose from 73% last year to 75.7% this year. He noted strengths — including secondary school improvements and "100% of points in the area of the five‑year graduation rate and the graduate follow‑up" — and flagged areas of concern, such as declining scores at several 3‑5 intermediate schools, a school rated LND (not determined) because more than 5% of students were not tested, low attendance points for many schools, and high school college‑and‑career readiness shortfalls.

Enrollment and facilities: Using a utilization study by MGT (January 2024), Fields showed maps and charts of functional capacity and enrollment. He described a capacity ‘‘sweet spot’’ of 80–94% and categorized buildings below 70% as inefficient. He said demographer projections will inform near‑term recommendations that could affect the 2026–27 school year.

Transportation and partnerships: Fields announced the district won an EPA Clean School Bus grant valued at $6,300,000 that will bring 21 electric buses and 10 charging stations to the district "at no cost to the district." He said Ameren committed $2,800,000 to support the infrastructure and named Schneider Electric and EMACt as partners/administrators. Fields presented an estimated equipment‑cost saving figure (spoken in the presentation as "3.9") and said the district expects roughly $59,000 in annual operational savings that could be redirected to classrooms.

Community engagement and advisory groups: Fields introduced "Ferg Floor Forward," an initiative with three goals: create a shared future, expand community partnerships, and maximize resources for learning. He asked community members to sign up for student, staff and community advisory groups and said the district will make slides and the recorded presentation available and collect feedback.

Public questions and concerns: During a brief Q&A, parents and community members raised several issues. A parent asked whether Chromebooks will go home during the winter; Fields said he would meet with staff and examine the process, adding that the district must ensure students have what they need at home. Another parent asked about frequent school transitions (pre‑K–2, 3–5, sixth‑grade center, 9–12) and said repeated transitions can disrupt services for students who receive special‑education supports; the parent also urged consistent follow‑through for advisory groups. Representative Prouty asked about recent large safety incidents; Fields said the district conducts after‑action reviews, may take personnel actions when appropriate and is working with its safety team to reduce recurrence. An employee asked about long‑term plans to improve staff morale; Fields cited a modest rise in climate survey results, noted vacancies and compensation concerns, and pointed to community partner efforts to support staff.

Next steps: Fields said the district will continue advisory‑group outreach, prepare a transparent plan addressing academic performance, fiscal efficiency and facility utilization, and present a more detailed APR analysis at the Nov. 12 board meeting when Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction Mr. Murray will deliver a fuller report.

Board business: The board approved the meeting agenda as posted and later moved to adjourn after Fields' presentation. The livestream recorded board members saying "Aye" during adjournment.

Sources: Presentation remarks by Superintendent Howard Fields, recorded student video segments and public comments at the Ferguson‑Florissant R‑II Board of Education meeting.