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111 East North St., Eureka, MO 63025 |
636.733.2000 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
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The questions below represent the most frequently asked questions regarding district finances and the FY13 budget planning process. These questions have been compiled from Town Hall meetings and emails received from the Rockwood community.
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Q: What was the impact of the Chrysler plant closing? View Answer
Answer: For Rockwood, the financial impact is about $1.5 million a year, which is less than 1 percent of our annual operating budget. However, this does not include any ancillary revenue losses from the many businesses which support or are supported by Chrysler. We also recognize the devastating effect the plant’s closing had on many Rockwood families who were impacted by the loss of their jobs. We also have to recognize that where/when the assessed valuation of the district falls, the pennies of the levy are allowed to be rolled up which offsets the loss. Q: What about the casino money from Prop A? View Answer
Answer: Because of changes to the law made by the Legislature in 2009, the additional money generated by casinos because of Prop A is no longer guaranteed to be "new" revenue on top of what the Legislature had already budgeted for schools.
With the bad economy, the state has reduced other sources of funding for education and the casino money is used to fill in the gaps. The legislature budgeted only $40 million more for education in 2011 than they did in 2008. This is $20 million short of what the original Prop A would have called for. The expected revenues generated from the casinos have not materialized.
In the current fiscal year, Gov. Jay Nixon has withheld $76 million in school funds, more than the entire total of additional gambling revenue. Most of that money came from transportation funds, the Parents as Teachers program and other, non-classroom-related programs. Q: How does Rockwood handle purchases of paper for copiers and printers? View Answer
Answer:
- The Purchasing Department conducts an annual bid for white copier paper (8 ½” x 11”) used in each building.
- Prior to issuing a bid, Purchasing asks each building to review their current year’s usage and inventory to determine next year’s needs. These quantities are used in a bid request so paper vendors can provide their best pricing based upon the district’s total volume.
- Once the bid is awarded, each building is charged for the total volume submitted to Purchasing. Two ledger adjustments (one for each semester) are used to charge each building or department’s supply budget.
- Office Essentials (OEI) was awarded the paper contract for the 2010/11 school year.
Q: What has been done to reduce printing costs at the district level? View Answer
Answer:
The budget for the district print shop continues to be reduced. The operating budget for next year (2011-2012) is $80,000 less than the 2009-2010 budget. Additionally, the district has realized significant savings by outsourcing the management of the print shop to INDOX Services.
The district stopped printing a monthly newsletter several years ago. We now produce an electronic newsletter, ENews, which goes to more than 23,000 email addresses. Rockwood News is only printed 3 times a year for all district patrons. The district relies primarily on electronic communication tools to communicate with staff, parents and patrons.
The district print shop no longer prints school newsletters. We encourage schools and departments to use electronic communication and websites to share information with parents. Q: What is Tax Increment Financing (TIF)? Didn’t Rockwood receive a big TIF payment from the Chesterfield Valley development? View Answer
Answer:
Tax Increment Financing districts are a type of economic development incentive authorized by Missouri law. When districts are authorized, the property tax is frozen at the pre-development level. This amount goes to the local governments (such as the school district). Additional taxes paid on the development are placed in a special TIF fund and are used to pay for the redevelopment projects or the bonds or other obligations associated with the development. A TIF will generally be granted this status for 23 years. The entire development could be constructed over a 10 year period of time and keep the property tax frozen to the district for a period of 33 years.
In 2007, the Chesterfield Valley came out of the TIF early and collected taxes which were put into a TIF fund and then paid out to the respective taxing authorities. This was a one time payout of the TIF fund to Rockwood of approximately $6 million. Q: Will Rockwood receive TIF money if the former Chrysler plant site is redeveloped? View Answer
Answer:
Possibly, but not for at least a few decades. This scenario requires years of redevelopment, successful businesses operating there and repayment of the TIF by the developer. As a general rule, the school district loses out on TIF. In lieu of the potential one time event, we must forego the incremental increase in property taxes as the project is developed. Q: How high or low might a tax increase proposal be? Is there a ceiling for this number? View Answer Q: What about summer school funding? View Answer
Answer:
The Rockwood Board of Education has committed to fund Rockwood Summer Academy (summer school) at an estimated cost of more than $900,000. As of Feb. 17, the Missouri Legislature indicates they are not looking to cut summer school funding. Q: Where does the money go for Community Education programs? View Answer
Answer:
The Community Education department is a self-funded department that is not included in the Rockwood operating budget. In addition to generating revenue to cover its costs, the Community Education department also provides funding to the district when possible as determined by the Board of Education.
Q: What's the policy on charging tuition for nonresident staff members' children to attend Rockwood schools? View Answer
Answer: Missouri state law prohibits the charging of tuition to nonresident teachers’ children. According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE):
A school district may allow the children of nonresident teachers and regular employees to attend and be counted as resident students for purposes of receiving state aid. A teacher may not be charged tuition in the district where the teacher’s child attends school. (An exception exists in subsection 5 in section 167.151, RSMo. that allows Lee's Summit School District to charge its nonresident teachers and regular employees tuition.)
Under this same law, school districts have the option of allowing the children of nonresident regular support staff to attend without having to pay tuition. Rockwood Regulation 2240 provides for a tuition waiver for the children of nonresident staff (teachers and support staff).
Once the nonresident teacher or regular employee is no longer employed with the district, the student is no longer eligible to be counted as a resident student.
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Communications Department
636-733-1140
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