Fox C-6 Board Approves Budget, Security Timeline and New Social Studies Plan

District leaders say Prop M work is moving forward, but rising costs, flat revenue and future funding uncertainty are putting pressure on school finances.

By The Jefferson Review

The Fox C-6 School Board moved through a wide-ranging June meeting that touched nearly every part of the district, from school security and roof repairs to teacher stress, student screen time, curriculum changes and the district’s 2026-2027 budget.

The meeting, held Tuesday, June 16, opened with no patron comments before district leaders began laying out what comes next for Fox families and taxpayers.

One of the biggest updates came on Prop M, the district’s bond issue for safety, security, roofing, HVAC and other facility needs. District leaders said they now have a draft timeline for those projects and plan to begin sharing it publicly so the community can see how the work is progressing.

The first piece is safety and security. The district’s Centegix emergency alert system, which was approved at a previous board meeting, is projected to be installed by October 2026. The bidding process for interior door hardware is expected to begin in November, followed by bidding for exterior door controls and monitoring in the winter of 2026 or early 2027.

Installation of both interior and exterior door work is expected to begin in the summer of 2027, with completion projected by the summer of 2028.

Roofing work will also be split into phases. The district expects to begin bidding for the first phase of roof replacements this fall, with work starting in the summer of 2027. A second phase would be bid in the fall of 2027 and completed in the summer of 2028.

HVAC work will stretch even further. The district received 13 responses to a request for qualifications for architects and engineering design services, with interviews planned with five firms. HVAC and temperature control bids are expected this fall, with phase one planned for summer 2027, phase two in summer 2028 and phase three in summer 2029.

District leaders said the bond sale brought in a little more than $49 million, which they believe will cover the planned work. They also noted that if costs allow, additional security or facility needs could be considered later.

Teachers Ask for Help With Stress, Student Needs and Classroom Challenges

The board also approved the district’s professional development plan for the 2026-2027 school year after a presentation from Professional Development Director Beth Griffin.

Griffin said the district’s professional development committee includes 24 teachers, 12 administrators and three curriculum coordinators. The committee uses a needs assessment survey to help decide what training teachers need most.

This year, 533 certified staff members completed the survey. The results showed a major concern around teacher stress, burnout prevention, student support and school culture.

Elementary teachers identified high needs around stress reduction, burnout prevention, helping students with anxiety and depression, vertical alignment, trauma-informed strategies, mindfulness and stress reduction for students, de-escalation techniques, assessment tools and reading interventions.

Secondary teachers also listed stress reduction and burnout prevention as top needs, along with support for English language learners, vertical alignment, artificial intelligence, student anxiety and depression, reading interventions and mindfulness strategies.

Griffin said more than 500 teachers and administrators have signed up for summer professional learning, with 23 different sessions being offered.

The discussion also turned to student anxiety, technology and screen time. District officials said Fox will roll out Parent ProTech during the coming school year, a free resource available through the district’s insurance company. The tool will offer resources for teachers and parents on technology topics, including apps students use, screen time and other digital safety concerns.

Several board members discussed the book The Anxious Generation and the broader concern that phones and social media are playing a role in student anxiety and behavior issues. One board member suggested the district should not be afraid to ask parents directly for help when home routines may affect student success at school.

Late Starts and PLCs Remain a Focus

The district also continued preparing for one-hour late starts tied to professional learning communities, or PLCs.

Griffin said the district spent the past year preparing teachers and administrators for the change. Training included summer work with administrators and teacher leaders, a February learning summit at Fox High School, and additional PLC-focused training opportunities.

According to the presentation, 89.7 percent of elementary teachers and 88.2 percent of secondary teachers said they are confidently implementing or excelling in their understanding of PLCs and how collaborative teams use data, plan instruction and improve student learning.

Board members asked how the district will know whether the late-start model works. District leaders said the real question is not simply whether extra time exists, but how that time is used. They pointed to student achievement, i-Ready diagnostics three times a year, instructional walks, priority standards and ongoing administrator support as ways the district will monitor progress.

Board Approves New Ninth-Grade Social Studies Curriculum

The board approved a new ninth-grade social studies curriculum that will teach American history and world history in a more connected way.

Rather than treating American and world history as separate courses, the new approach will teach them in parallel so students can better understand how events in the United States affected the world, and how world events affected the United States.

District leaders described the new model as inquiry-based and focused on helping students think critically, ask meaningful questions, compare perspectives, use primary sources and connect history to modern issues.

The ninth-grade course will cover topics including founding ideas, U.S. expansion, civil war and reconstruction, industrialization, imperialism and nationalism, World War I, the interwar years and World War II.

The board also approved a $104,827.74 purchase of McGraw Hill textbook materials for American World History I and II. The materials will support the new ninth-grade course and the future tenth-grade course. The district plans to purchase 35 textbooks per classroom, with additional sets available for students who may need to check them out.

Fox Adopts Balanced Budget After Cutting More Than $6 Million

The largest financial discussion of the night came during the adoption of the district’s 2026-2027 budget.

Chief Operations Officer Tracy Schmidt told the board the district’s operating budget is projected at $143,319,512. The district expects to end with a fund balance of 21.38 percent. The total budget across all funds is just over $154 million.

Schmidt said 86 percent of the district’s expenditures are tied to salaries and benefits.

The district is facing several financial pressures, including declining enrollment, inflation, possible reductions in federal funding and state-level changes that could affect local school revenue.

According to the presentation, Fox’s enrollment used for state funding has dropped from 11,408 students ten years ago to an average of 10,453 this year. Local revenue makes up 53 percent of district revenue, state funding makes up 39 percent, federal funding makes up 6 percent and county revenue makes up 2 percent.

District leaders said they cut about $6.4 million from purchase services and supplies in order to balance the operating budget.

Inflation has also hit the district hard. Costs for water, sewer, electric, gas and insurance were about $800,000 higher than budgeted this year, with that number expected to move closer to $1 million.

Schmidt also said the senior tax freeze cost the district just under $360,000 this year, and that number could grow as more people sign up and the impact compounds.

Federal funding was another concern. District leaders said Title II funding is fully funded for the 2026-2027 school year, but there are concerns that Title II, Title III and Title IV funding could be lost after next school year. Board members raised concerns that federal money often supports programs for students who need extra help.

Superintendent comments during the budget discussion emphasized that the district is budgeting conservatively because state funding remains uncertain. District leaders said some other districts are budgeting based on higher state funding assumptions, but Fox is using a more cautious number to avoid having to make cuts in the middle of the year.

The board approved the budget. District leaders said the operating budget is balanced, with deficit spending only in capital projects where the district is intentionally drawing down funds while still maintaining a balance above $5 million in that account.

More Deputies Approved for County Schools

The board also approved agreements with the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department for school resource officer coverage.

The agreement is a one-year contract with a 200-day minimum. The daily rate will increase from $435.36 during the 2025-2026 school year to $450.79 for 2026-2027.

The board also approved an overtime agreement that will provide additional law enforcement coverage for the district’s 11 schools in Jefferson County jurisdiction. District leaders said the agreement provides two more deputies during the day, moving from one deputy covering 11 schools to three deputies covering those schools.

District leaders said the added presence has received strong feedback from staff, students, parents and officers, and that the extra coverage helps people feel safer.

Classroom Lighting Project Approved

The board approved a $508,000 bid from Reinhold Electric for classroom and office lighting dimming controls.

The project will install 449 dimmers at Antonia Middle, Don Earl Early Childhood Center, Clyde Hamrick Elementary, Guffey Elementary, Hodge Elementary, Lone Dell Elementary, Meramec Heights Elementary, Ridgewood Middle, Rockport Elementary, Seckman Elementary, Seckman Middle and Simpson Elementary.

District leaders said the project will allow teachers to adjust lighting in classrooms and offices rather than relying on makeshift solutions. They also said the district expects some energy savings, though the savings are difficult to quantify because it will depend on how often lighting is dimmed.

The project passed with one opposition vote.

The board also approved food service bids and accepted a $1,000 donation from New Hope United Methodist Church to help with unpaid lunch balances.