Francis Howell board approves staffing-plan changes, hears FY27 budget that projects a $4.9M gap

The Francis Howell School District Board of Education on June 4 approved part two of the district’s 2026–27 staffing plan and received a detailed presentation of the proposed FY27 budget that projects a roughly $4.9 million operating shortfall under current revenue assumptions.

Chief Human Resources Officer Miss Simpkins presented staffing-plan part two, saying the package "slightly increases FTEs, but at the same time results in a net savings to the salary budget." The plan eliminates a second deputy superintendent position, reallocates 6.76 previously held positions, adds one special-education teacher at each high school, converts one English-learner position from 0.5 to full time, adds three board-certified behavior analysts (one at each Title I elementary), and creates new stipends for counseling-leader split roles and ADA-technology compliance.

The administration said much of the added staffing will be funded by Title I and ESSER grant dollars; Miss Simpkins described the approach as "fiscally prudent and operationally sound" and emphasized the district’s intent to prioritize resources closest to the classroom.

Dr. Amy St. John, director of finance, presented the proposed 2026–27 budget and explained the primary revenue risks: a slightly declining enrollment (16,735 in 2019–20 to 16,321 in the current year), reductions in state adequacy payments, and volatility in bond and earnings-on-deposit revenue. Dr. St. John said the district is budgeting conservatively (using a $6,700 state adequacy target assumption) and outlined a set of assumptions — 3% salary growth and an 8% cap on health‑insurance premium increases — that underlie the projections. She noted the June 18 board meeting is scheduled for the formal adoption required "prior to July 1st each fiscal year per Missouri statute."

Board members asked detailed questions about long-term sustainability, administrative-to-student ratios, nurse coverage at Union, and the district’s dollar-value modifier in the state funding formula. Dr. St. John and Miss Simpkins responded that the plan aims to protect core classroom services while using grants to cover several of the new positions. The presenters identified a projected $4.9 million gap in the operating budget under current assumptions and outlined levers the board could consider — for example, reassigning funds from debt service transfers or pursuing a levy — if revenue assumptions do not improve.

Votes at a glance

- Staffing plan part two approved (motion moved/seconded during the meeting; voice vote recorded) — block_id_start: SEG 1024, outcome: approved. - Substitute and miscellaneous pay rates (compensation workbook section) approved — block_id_start: SEG 1029, outcome: approved. - Multiple procurement items (consent agenda, purchases, open purchase order listing including items exceeding $500,000) approved — various agenda motions recorded and approved by voice vote — block_id_start: SEG 322 (consent agenda) and SEG 347 (open purchase orders), outcomes: approved.

Why it matters

School-district staffing and the FY27 budget determine classroom support, special-education capacity, transportation and capital projects. The board’s staffing decision shifts some administrative resources toward classroom and special-education needs, while the budget presentation highlighted that ongoing state underfunding and enrollment changes are placing pressure on the district’s ability to sustain current staffing and services without additional revenue or further expense reductions.

What’s next

The proposed FY27 budget will be brought back for a formal adoption vote at the June 18 board meeting; administration also said it will monitor final state revenue notices and federal allocations this summer and bring any needed budget amendments to the board once those figures are finalized.