Alexius Ferguson’s official title is community partnership director at The Webster School. He prefers to refer to himself, however, more simply as a “peacemaker.”

As part of a new initiative by the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Ferguson, a former St. Augustine High School teacher and coach, has been brought on to help build bridges between students and their families, the school and the larger community so that children and their parents have better outcomes.

Ferguson grew up just a block from The Webster School. The 31-year-old alumnus now runs an office out of the building on North Orange Street. And while he uses the space, filled with whiteboards and flow charts, to map out meetings and plans, Ferguson can more often be found out in the hallways of Webster.

One day, he might be calming down a little girl who’s crying as she holds a bloody tooth in her hand on the way to the nurse’s office. Another day could mean walking a boy to a new classroom after the student got lost.

Every day, Ferguson is a face in the cafeteria and at the bus drop-off and pick-up lines.

Alexius Ferguson wants the school to be seen as a resource in the West Augustine neighborhood rather than just an institution, and that begins with trust.

A big back-to-school block party held at Webster drew hundreds for the food, music and free backpacks, yes — but Ferguson would like to think they took more than that from the event.

“It was a true sense of community,” Ferguson said.

But behind the scenes, the community partnership director is busy putting a lot of moving pieces into motion, the results of which may not be seen for months or even years to come.

South Woods Elementary School in Elkton has also become a Community Partnership School, with Christopher Stone directing the program which launched there in January as well. As the former homeless liaison for the St. Johns County School District, Stone already has a deep knowledge of the challenges of lower-income students in the schools.

Both South Woods and Webster recently completed a needs assessment of each of their schools and the neighborhoods they serve. That data will inform the strategic plan both Stone and Ferguson will present by the end of September, which will include an action plan each hopes to roll out at their schools.

The main goal is transforming the elementary schools into hubs for students and families “and creating opportunities that traditionally aren’t there for some of these kids,” Stone said.

Those opportunities might include after-school programs, summer enrichment activities and mentoring provided at no or low-cost to families.

Webster is starting up a school store soon where families can “shop” for needed items at no charge. The schools will also offer resources for families struggling with medical needs, mental health issues or employment challenges.

CHS is supported in this mission through its partnerships with business and educational partners, including Flagler Hospital and [St. Johns River State College]. Both Stone and Ferguson meet regularly with other groups out in the community, including those in the non-profit and faith-based sectors “to get their input into what’s going to make a difference,” according to Stone, and to get them to buy into the community partnership model.

“When you’re collectively bringing these partners to work for the same purpose together, it’s going to be transformative,” Stone said.

Ferguson used to head up the AVID program in the St. Johns County Schools which helps students achieve academically and get them college ready. He’s also a skilled community organizer, beginning his own “Redemption” movement in West Augustine which was focused on turning bad choices into good ones.

It’s what he wants for “his kids” at Webster, too — for these young men and women to have a sense of pride in where they come from and, more importantly, where they’re going.

Originally posted by The St. Augustine Record