Superintendent Howard Fields details Proposition S, a 48¢ levy to fund safety and staffing in Ferguson-Florissant schools

Superintendent Howard Fields said Proposition S, the Ferguson-Florissant School District’s proposed operating levy on the April 7 ballot, is aimed primarily at bolstering school safety, security and staffing.

"So Proposition S is an opportunity for us to strengthen the great things that are already happening in our school system, more specifically as it relates to safety, as it relates to security, as it relates to staffing," Fields said during a City of Florissant podcast interview with Mayor Eric Tim Lowry.

Fields and Mayor Eric Tim Lowry said the measure is an operating tax — not a bond — the first such levy the district has sought since 2014. Fields described the proposal as a 48¢ levy and gave examples of the household impact: "With the $100,000 of assessed valuation on average, that's about $8 a month. With the $120,000 of assessed valuation, that's about $9. And then with the $150,000 of assessed valuation for a resident home... that's roughly about $11 a month."

Fields framed the levy as aimed at day-to-day operational needs rather than large capital projects. He said the district had undertaken significant cuts heading into the year, noting it was "in the red, so to speak, by the excess of about $5,000,000" but had reduced spending by about $5,600,000 through restructuring and attrition.

Explaining why the district is seeking local support, Fields said about 60% of the district’s budget comes from local sources. He said the district's strategic plan, described on the podcast as "Ferg Forward," and community listening sessions informed the decision to pursue a levy to maintain or improve student supports.

Fields outlined specific planned uses for levy funds: installing a security checkpoint at McClure North to mirror other high schools, investing in bus-tracking technology that would notify parents when buses are late or if a child did not board, and upgrading cameras and storage capacity so administrators can review incidents promptly.

On staffing, Fields said the district struggles to match starting wages for positions such as bus drivers, custodians, food-service workers and security staff to neighboring districts, which affects recruitment and retention. He also described added administrative workload tied to recent changes in documentation accepted under the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act, saying the district has received more than 1,000 related requests from families.

Fields said enrollment in Florissant itself is largely stable since 2020 and that the district has worked with a demographer on projections; however, enrollment trends vary across the district’s nine municipalities. He warned that if Proposition S fails, the district would have to reevaluate all budget items and could see impacts to class sizes, locations and student services.

The superintendent closed by thanking city partners and school resource officers for their work in schools. The district will present Proposition S to voters on April 7.