Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Restructuring topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Ferguson-Florissant board approves 2027–28 restructuring, closes Central Primary and repurposes several schools
Summary
The Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education voted to approve a district restructuring to take effect in the 2027–2028 school year that reduces building transitions (K–5, 6–8, 9–12), closes Central Primary and repurposes multiple sites; the district estimates roughly $2 million in savings, largely from reduced transportation costs.
The Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education approved a districtwide restructuring plan on April 22, 2026, that will change grade spans to K–5 for elementary schools, 6–8 for middle schools and 9–12 for high schools beginning in the 2027–2028 school year.
Superintendent Howard Fields, who presented the plan, said the recommendations respond to steady enrollment declines and tightening budgets. "The recommended grade span restructure…has a total projected cost savings of approximately $2 million," Fields said, adding the estimate relies on a conservative projection of about a 15% reduction in transportation costs.
The board’s plan calls for specific building changes: Central Primary would close; Bermuda Primary would become an early childhood center; Griffith Intermediate would be repurposed as a Restoration and Wellness site and the second early childhood location; Cool Valley would open as a K–5 elementary; Berkeley Intermediate would convert to a 6–8 middle school; Johnson-Wabash would become K–5; Wedgwood would be a K–2 traditional school. High schools will remain 9–12. Fields said these changes would reduce the number of student transitions and improve elementary building utilization.
Fields cited district data and an independent research brief from Washington University in St. Louis that found multiple school-to-school transitions can harm attendance, behavior and long-term outcomes for vulnerable students. "School-to-school transitions can create measurable and lasting disruptions for students," he said, noting the research influenced the recommendations.
The superintendent outlined implementation steps if the board confirmed the plan: form an implementation team with timelines and deliverables; develop a staffing plan aligned with certification and collective bargaining obligations; finalize student assignment and feeder patterns; model transportation routes; and launch parent and staff communication and transition supports (IEP/504/EL records review, orientation events and records transfers). Fields said attendance patterns and final feeder assignments are expected to be finalized by the June meeting.
Fields also warned that the estimated savings will depend on actual enrollment, routing, staffing needs and implementation costs. He noted the district currently operates at roughly 60% building utilization and that the recommended changes strengthen elementary utilization but do not by themselves solve projected secondary-school underutilization.
After board discussion and questions about alternative programming grades and transportation impacts, the board voted by roll call to approve the restructuring motion. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from board members present and the motion passed.
The board asked staff to return with implementation timelines, staffing analyses and regular updates as plans proceed toward the 2027–2028 start date.
