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Superintendent: closures of two residential programs will displace students; district outlines staffing and placement response
Summary
Superintendent Anderson told the St. Francis Area Schools board that two residential facilities serving district students closed unexpectedly within the prior week, displacing roughly 20 students and affecting 10–15 staff; the district is planning placements and staffing adjustments while pursuing capital funding for east-side water infrastructure.
Superintendent Anderson told the St. Francis Area Schools board on May 26 that two residential school facilities that enroll students from the district — Crossroads Bar None and Crossroads East (operated by Nexus) — closed unexpectedly within the past week, displacing students and prompting immediate district planning.
Anderson said the closures will affect both students and staff and described preliminary counts: “about 7 kids at Crossroads Bar none” and “at Crossroads East, I think it was about 15,” and he estimated “somewhere between 10 and 15 staff members” who teach or provide services across the two sites. He said the district began meetings “literally within a few hours” of receiving notice to work on placement options and staffing plans.
Why it matters: the residential programs provide education and supportive services to students whose needs require a residential placement. Sudden closures can interrupt students’ educational continuity and require the district to find immediate alternative placements, absorb or reassign staff, and manage related transportation and special-education logistics.
Anderson described the district’s immediate response and the limits on local authority: the two facilities are operated by different entities, and the district’s role is to continue providing educational services. He cautioned that reopening a facility can involve state oversight and corrective plans, and “it could be several months or years” before a closed facility could resume operations. The superintendent said the district will work with state agencies and community partners and that more information will be shared as plans develop.
The superintendent also updated the board on capital funding unrelated to the closures: he said the district helped secure roughly $6,000,000 in grant funding for a water treatment plant and tower serving the east side and that the district hopes to secure approximately another $4.5 million in a future session to finish the project and connect two elementary schools.
Board members asked for specifics about student counts and staffing; Anderson acknowledged fluctuations in enrollment at the residential sites and emphasized the district is still reconciling records and state guidance. He said district leaders, including the director of special programs, are meeting to assess where displaced students will attend and how to integrate affected staff into next year’s staffing plan.
Next steps: the superintendent said district staff will return to the board with more detailed plans after meeting with state regulators and district teams. The board did not take a formal vote on placement strategy during the meeting; Anderson said more information will be provided in coming weeks.
