Jason Adams for FHSD

This was an interesting listen about the use of AI in schools, and focuses in on a teacher out in NJ who is teaching about AI, but through a much more critical lens.

The Battle Over A.I. in the Classroom Podcast Episode · The Daily · June 17 · 32m

I’d like to spend a few minutes talking about advocacy vs politics so that I can be fully transparent about what you can expect from me over the next few months.

When I ran for the Board of Education, I was very clear that partisan politics had no place on the Board or in education. During my campaign, I remained non-partisan and asked voters to evaluate me based on my experience, qualifications, and vision for the future rather than any political party I may or may not align with.

At the same time, there are issues that directly affect public education, our students, our staff, and our schools. When those issues arise, I believe it is appropriate, and in many cases necessary, for school board members to speak about them. Part of serving on a Board of Education is advocating for public education and helping provide information that allows our community to make well-informed decisions. This was very much the case when Prop RT was on the April ballot.

With that said, that does not mean I believe school board members should use their position to support or oppose every amendment, proposition, or political issue that appears on a ballot. I was elected to help govern a school district, not to serve as a commentator on every political issue facing our state or country. With this in mind, I will continue to keep my word that any advocacy I engage in will be limited to issues that directly affect public education.

A good example is Amendment 5 on the August ballot. Its stated goal is to gradually reduce and ultimately eliminate Missouri’s income tax while replacing that revenue through increases in sales tax. I may have personal opinions about this proposal as a whole, but as a Board member, my focus is on what it means for public education.

From an educational perspective, my concern is whether schools can reliably forecast future revenue and build responsible budgets. Sales tax revenue is tied more closely to consumer spending and economic conditions, creating greater uncertainty when projecting future funding. Public schools operate best when funding is stable and predictable.

I’ve said before that nobody enjoys paying taxes. At the same time, taxes fund public education. Missouri has struggled for years to fully fund the foundation formula, even under the current system. For FY27, the district purposefully budgeted below what we should be receiving, only to find we were being funded even less than that! Given those challenges, I believe it would be risky to move away from a revenue source that has historically been a major component of state funding and replace it with a system that may make future revenue even harder to predict.

As always, please do your own independent research so you can make a well informed decision in August. There are other amendments and propositions on the horizon that I will be commenting on, but for now please focus your attention on Amendment 5.

The 2nd June meeting agenda should be released Monday or Tuesday next week. If you would like to discuss any items on the agenda or have anything else you’d like to discuss, I will be at Spencer Road library, Study Room C on Tuesday from 6-7pm, and would love to talk to you!

If you are unable to attend, but would still like to get in touch, please leave a comment on this post and I will respond throughout the week. 

Please know that before the meeting, I will be responding as one of seven board members with my own views and opinions, but after the meeting when votes have been cast, I will be honoring and supporting the full board’s decision.

The Missouri State Auditor released their findings regarding '...the resignation of, and the district's payment of a settlement to, Dr. Mike Dominguez, former Superintendent of the Francis Howell R-III School District...'.

The images in this post were taken directly from the Auditor's website (https://auditor.mo.gov/InvestigativeSummary/ViewFile/27?t=0118140923).

I know that while this report may answer some questions, it does not answer all of the questions our community has asked. To those of you who are understandably frustrated by not having the full information regarding this situation, all I can say is this: after being fully briefed on the circumstances, I can say that the Board and District made the best decision that could have been made.

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525,600 graduates (give or take).

To every Knight, Spartan, Viking, and their friends and family, congratulations on YOUR day! Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.

This evening, I had the honor of attending the graduation of three Llamas at Westwood Trail Academy.

This program and school have always meant a lot to me, due to the relationships I had with the staff and students while I worked for FHSD, and I’m so glad we have services like this that show we are truly here for ALL kids.

Speaking of llamas, ‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ will always be the best Disney movie of all time!

Over the last year, the Board has been presented with an overview of our finances, culminating tonight with the presentation of the budget for the next school year, which will be voted on at the 2nd June meeting.

Last month, Dr. St. John made two incredibly thorough documents detailing our revenue and expenses. They are 40 pages of 11 point text which goes into great detail how we are doing financially, and forecasting into the future.

Using a custom GPT, I uploaded both these documents, and asked it the following question: ‘Being as concise as possible, based on anticipated revenue and expenses, how financially healthy is FHSD projected to be in 2026-27 and 2027-28. Additionally, what are the top three areas of concern over the next 3-5 years?’

This was the result:

FHSD appears financially stable for 2026-27, but with little room for error. The district is budgeting cautiously: local tax revenue is expected to rise about $2.7M, but state formula funding, Proposition C, tuition-based revenue, insurance, staffing, and inflationary costs are putting pressure on the operating budget. Looking ahead to 2027-28, the district may need additional operating support, including a possible no-tax-rate-increase levy transfer, to keep finances sustainable.

The top concerns over the next 3–5 years are:

1. Flat or uncertain state funding that may not keep up with inflation.
2. Rising employee compensation, health insurance, property/liability insurance, and other operating costs.
3. Long-term enrollment softness and facility/capital needs that will require careful prioritization.

Bottom line: FHSD is not in crisis, but the financial outlook is tight and will require disciplined budgeting, close monitoring, and strategic decisions to protect classrooms and long-term stability.

To put it simply, we are skating on thin ice. We will be deficit spending next year. We can’t sustain this for much longer. Please stay engaged.