Ferguson-Florissant Students Begin to Move Closer to Home

When some students start the 2013-2014 school year in the Ferguson-Florissant School District, they could be in a school closer to home.

Starting next school year, kindergarten students in Duchesne and Johnson-Wabash elementary schools will be attending the school that is closest to their home. This comes as the district begins a gradual move to community schools, where students attend school closest to their homes, Jana Shortt, the district spokeswoman said.

The only schools affected for next year are Duchesne and Johnson-Wabash.

In most cases, many students already attend the school closest to their home, but there are some students who attend Duchesne Elementary School and live closer to Johnson-Wabash, Shortt said.

At the March Ferguson-Florissant Board of Education meeting, a number of parents attended and spoke about the concern that their child would be transferred or bussed further away from home. Superintendent Art McCoy dispelled those concerns with an explanation of the community schools.

The moves come as a part of a budget-saving measure, which would help in a reduction of transportation costs for the district.

The district has been grappling budget woes as it faces as much as a $10 million shortfall in the next school year. At last month’s meeting, the board was presented a preliminary 2013-2014 fiscal budget with approximately $7 million in budget cuts.

The school moves present benefits for students and their families as it means shorter commute times, closer school events and more possible parental involvement at the schools, Shortt said.

For more information on the Ferguson-Florissant District, check out: 

• 5 Proposed Budget Cuts for Ferguson-Florissant School District
• Ferguson-Florissant Schools May Face $10 Million Budget Shortfall
• Ferguson-Florissant Board Presented $7 Million in Budget Cuts