Thursday, May 16, 2013
The board of education weighs different scenarios for bond issue needs.
The addition of a new bond issue moved closer the realm of a strong possibility last week during the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education meeting. The committee, represented by Lorenzo Boyd, senior vice president of public finance for Stifel Nicolaus and Co., presented the board’s options of a no-tax increase as well as with a tax increase, which could be up to $51 million. With a no-tax increase, the district could issue as much as $23 million in bonds, Boyd said during his presentation. There are options for as much as a 20-cent increase, and for example, a 5-cent increase could result in up to $30 million in bonds. A 20-cent increase would be needed for $51 million. For personal property taxes, that could mean a number of scenarios. …
Thursday, May 9, 2013
The board unanimously approves the allocation from the 2010 no-tax-increase bond issue.
The Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education approved a $5.7 million capital budget Wednesday night for district improvements in 2013-2014. The funding comes from a $25 million no-tax-rate-increase bond issue passed by voters in August 2010. According to a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article, the district bought bonds to pay for facility and technology upgrades. No tax money is needed, and the bonds can’t be used to pay for items such as salaries and benefits, transportation, utilities, textbooks or other supplies. Last year, the board allocated $5.8 million of bond funding for improvements. The allocation comes as the board and district consider another bond issue for other district and infrastructure needs. Financial Director Laura Modrusic …
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
The board's agenda looks at a number of financial issues, including the budget and possible bond issue.
When the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education convenes Wednesday, a good portion of its agenda will focus on the finance side of the district. The board will receive a 2013-2014 budget update, a capital/bond budget and get an update from the bond issue exploratory committee. Earlier this year, the district announced it would be facing a $10 million deficit in the next school year, but in March the board received a budget draft with almost $7 million in cuts. Last month, the board heard a bit about the formation of a committee who would look into the possibility of a bond issue for the district’s needs, including facility infrastructure improvement. For a full look at Wednesday’s agenda, check out the Ferguson-Florissant School District …
Friday, April 12, 2013
After swearing in a new board member, the board disagrees about who would be the best board president.
Despite a 15-minute tornado warning delay, Ferguson-Florissant Superintendent Art McCoy swore in Keith A. Brown to the district’s board of education. The board also elected new officers, which led to a bit of tension in the room. Brown as well as incumbent Leslie Hogshead took an oath in front of a small crowd Wednesday night. Each won their seat on the board following the April 2 election. When the time came to nominate board members for the office of board president, Hogshead and current board president Paul Morris were nominated. Board member Paul Schroeder disagreed with the nomination, though. Schroeder said that he was concerned with Morris tenure as president regarding the calling of impromptu meetings, which he said violate the …
Thursday, April 11, 2013
But Ferguson-Florissant National Education Association members didn't unanimously favor the measure.
Although the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education unanimously approved the teacher and employee contracts for the 2013-2014 school year, but the approval wasn’t a full consensus on both sides. Lori Sammelmann and Heike Janis, who served as the co-chairs for the negotiation committee, each spoke about their concerns for the salary freeze, which is the third one in 10 years, and future negotiations. Janis said that although members of the Ferguson-Florissant National Education Association (FFNEA) ratified the agreement, only 63.2 percent voted in favor of it. That’s the least amount since the 1980s, whereas in most recent years, members have approved contracts with a more than 90 percent vote. Last year, the members voted with 94 percent …
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
During the monthly board meeting, Keith Brown will be sworn in, while the board says goodbye to an incumbent.
The Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education will swear in Ferguson resident Keith Brown and board member Leslie Hogshead Wednesday night during the board’s reorganization. Keith Brown and Leslie Hogshead won the two seats during the April 2 election. Incumbent and Board Secretary Charles “Chuck” Henson lost his bid to be re-elected for another term. The board will also elect new officers during the reorganization. Paul Morris and Hogshead currently serve as president and vice president of the board currently. To view the full agenda, check out the Ferguson-Florissant School District’s website. The board of education meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at the district building.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Incumbent Leslie Hogshead regained her seat, while incumbent Charles "Chuck" Henson was edged out by Keith Brown.
The Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education will have a new face and a familiar face following Tuesday’s election. Incumbent Leslie Hogshead and current vice president of the board regained her seat with 2,411 votes, and Charles “Chuck” Henson lost his seat to Ferguson resident Keith Brown, who won the seat with 2,176 votes to Henson’s 2,054 votes. Candidate Larry Thomas received 854 votes. The race between incumbents became heated during the past month as Hogshead ran an ad saying that she didn’t vote to support the lifetime health insurance for former district Superintendent Jeff Spiegel. In 2010, the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education approved a vote to give Spiegel and his wife lifetime health insurance benefits after his retirement…
Friday, March 22, 2013
With Election Day just days away, each candidate gives their reasons for running and being elected.
As the April 2 election draws near, Florissant Patch is keeping voters informed about the candidates running. In Florissant, there’s a special election being held for the Ward 4 Council seat, which is an uncontested race with Jeff Caputa. In the Hazelwood School District, the incumbents also face an uncontested race. In Ferguson-Florissant School District, there are four candidates running for two seats on the board of education, including two incumbents. We have short biographical information as well as questions for each candidate. Just click on each link to get information on each candidate. Editor’s Note: The candidates received an identical questionnaire via email and were each given the same amount of time to reply. They are listed …
Thursday, March 21, 2013
We're looking closely at five budget items proposed as a part of the budget cuts for the 2013-2014 school year.
Facing a big deficit for the 2013-2014 school year, the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education received an idea of close to $7 million in budget cuts for next year. While not replacing retiring staff or hiring younger (cheaper) staff is a big part of the savings, there are a number of other items that the board will consider. Here’s a breakdown of five other items the board could consider as a part of budget cuts: The board of education will get a final budget proposal at its meeting in June.
Friday, March 15, 2013
Board member Charles "Chuck" Henson expresses his concerns over recent issues.
While many parents and teachers turned out to hear about Ferguson-Florissant's 2013-14 budget woes, their attention briefly turned toward the upcoming board election Wednesday night and one candidate's concerns. During the board announcement section, Board Secretary Charles “Chuck” Henson, who is running for reelection in April, spoke about his concerns over practices of others. Henson said he was concerned about an advertisement placed in the Ferguson Times by fellow board member Leslie Hogshead, which states her position regarding a previous vote over the lifetime health insurance for former district Superintendent Jeff Spiegel. The ad says she didn't vote to support the measure. In 2010, the Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education …
Neva Parker
12:53 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
Thanks for posting! It's nice to hear where candidates stand from their own mouths! more ›