The April 2, 2024 school board election for Francis Howell School Board is next week, and early no-excuse voting is underway.  While thinking over the candidates, let’s remember what the current board majority – supported by Francis Howell Families – has accomplished.

For teachers and safety:

  • Approved a new teacher’s contract with an average 9% pay raise over two years, an increase of $5,000 to first year teachers, and the restoration of several lost steps
  • Installed SROs (police officers) into more schools with the goal of getting them in all schools
  • Approved security entrance projects for (5) school buildings
  • Lightened the load of teachers by creating new procedures for surveys and restoring recess paraprofessionals

For academic excellence:

  • Rescinded politically biased Southern Poverty Law Center standards while providing uninterrupted access to Black History & Literature courses
  • Rejected a new costly iReady Math curriculum due to lack of independent research and its heavy reliance on computer based instruction
  • Improved early reading curricula to use proven research with more focus on decoding words and phonics

For fiscal responsibility:

  • Reviewed and re-prioritized the remaining Prop S capital projects
  • Removed certain administrators who made changes to Prop S projects WITHOUT required board approval
  • Called for a State Audit, at no cost to the district to restore community confidence in FHSD fiscal controls
  • Increased the Operating Fund Balance from 15% to almost 30% so that our district won’t need to borrow money to make payroll

For transparency and student privacy:

  • Open debate of district spending requests rather than the rubber-stamping of the past. Now some are even rejected!
  • Began live streaming and posting of board “retreats” (workshops), and orientation meetings
  • Proposed a new policy for Privacy in Locker Rooms and Restrooms in public meetings to allow all stakeholders to make comments
  • Implemented a new policy by which parents can opt out of providing their child’s personal data to third parties like the local NEA for political purposes
  • Improved policy to protect student data on staff personal social media channels

Sounds like promises made are promises kept!

This was only possible because YOU took the time to get involved and VOTE in these critical elections