FHSD District Digest | January 23, 2026

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Winter Weather Reminders

We are keeping a close eye on the winter weather forecast and would like to remind families that contact information can be updated at any time in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Click here for instructions on updating contact information. The contact information in Infinite Campus will be used for all SchoolMessenger alerts.

For the 2025-2026 school year, snow days 1-5 will be AMI days. Snow Days 6 and beyond will be made up at the end of the school year. Learn more by visiting the District's AMI web page.

review winter weather reminders

Francis Howell School District enhances campus safety with Raptor visitor management system

The Francis Howell School District will implement the Raptor Visitor Management System at all schools as part of ongoing security improvement efforts.

learn more about Raptor

Franics Howell student claims viral fame after sinking half-court shot

A moment immortalized. A Francis Howell High School student knocks down a half-court shot, capturing the hearts of his peers and going viral on social media.

see the half-court hero

Daniel Boone Elementary receives $20,000 donation in Mabel Busdieker’s honor

A generous donation was made in memory of former Francis Howell School District employee Mabel Busdieker.

learn about the donation

Only 1 week left to nominate somebody special for the prestigious Howell of Fame

The purpose of the Howell of Fame award is to recognize individuals who go above and beyond the call of duty to serve the District in meaningful ways.

submit a nomination by Feb. 1

7th-grade Barnwell Middle student publishes her first book

A student in the Francis Howell School District is now a published author.

watch the news story

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District shares strategic plan progress

The District is always planning for the future. The five-year Strategic Plan received board approval in November 2024. At the Jan. 15, 2026, Francis Howell School District Board of Education meeting, Chief Communications Officer Jennifer Jolls introduced the Strategic Plan Quarterly Report.

The update served as a check-in, similar to a progress report, for the community. Watch the live presentation on the District's YouTube Channel or view the slides here.

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Students to host Board of Education candidate forum

Francis Howell Central and Francis Howell High School publications students will host a Board Candidate Forum on Tuesday, March 31, at 7 p.m. in the FHC Auditorium. Registration is not required. Please note that this event is entirely planned and organized by students. They select the questions and moderate the Q&A. For those unable to attend in person, the students plan to livestream the forum.

FHSD continues to be impacted by nationwide staffing shortages, specifically for custodians, bus drivers, and paraprofessional roles. View all open positions online and please consider applying if there’s a role that interests you.

The Francis Howell School District has begun registering students for the 2026-27 Kindergarten class. Missouri law states that students must be five years old before the first day of August to enroll in Kindergarten.

In the Francis Howell School District, we are committed to providing the best possible education for our students, and your feedback and involvement are crucial to achieving this goal. As part of our curriculum development and approval process, we are excited to offer our community the opportunity to review and provide feedback on recently developed and revised curriculum documents.

The District will soon open early childhood registration for the 2026-27 school year. All enrollment windows open at 9 a.m. Please mark your calendar. Enrollment opens Feb. 10 for returning families and FHSD staff. New FHSD families can register on Feb. 24. Families living outside district boundaries may begin applying on March 31, if space is available. Learn more about FHSD Early Childhood Programs.

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Save the Date: School Finance Roundtables

Community members are invited to learn about school funding and legislative changes that may impact school budgets.

Upcoming Events (6:30-8 p.m.):

Monday, Feb. 23
Tuesday, March 3
Thursday, March 12
Wednesday, April 1

More information and a registration link will be sent soon.

A fourth-grade teacher at Central Elementary School saved a student’s life during lunch this month. Learn how this educator put her annual training to use in a critical moment.

Castlio Elementary School 5th-grade students scrubbed in as doctors and used math and reading skills to solve clues and crack riddles together! See inside the classroom!

Congratulations to the Barnwell Middle School Mighty Minors. The Robotics Awards Ceremony marked a major moment, as the team earned first place at the state competition. The win secured an invitation to the FLL World Championship in Houston in April.

Shout-out to all our Spelling Bee contestants across the district for taking part and representing their schools. Fifth-grade students at Independence Elementary enjoyed the competition and the shared experience.