Parkway School District is asking voters to approve a 46-cent operating tax increase on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot to address what the district projects will be a $75 million funding shortfall over the next 10 years.

The measure, called Proposition P, would raise the district's operating tax rate by 46 cents per $100 of assessed property value. For the owner of a $400,000 home, that works out to about $350 more per year, or roughly $7 per week, according to the district's Proposition P page.

Seniors already participating in the county’s property tax freeze would not pay additional eligible property taxes because of Prop P, according to Parkway. It is the first time in 20 years the district has asked voters for an operating tax increase.

Why the district says it needs the money

Parkway says operating costs have outpaced revenue. Superintendent Melissa Schneider laid out the cost pressures in a Sept. 30 letter mailed to all district residents on Sept. 30. Over five years, the cost of water rose 58%, school buses 32%, curriculum materials 40% and health care 30%.

State law also limits how much the district can collect. Missouri's Hancock Amendment requires school districts to roll back tax rates when assessed property values rise faster than inflation. The county's senior property tax freeze is projected to reduce Parkway's revenue by more than $30 million over the next decade, according to the district.

Parkway has already trimmed $15.4 million from its budget over two years by cutting department budgets, leaving some positions unfilled and reducing professional development spending. The district also increased employee health insurance premiums by 15% for 2026.

What happens if Prop P fails

The Parkway Board of Education voted unanimously to place the measure on the ballot. Board President Jeff Todd told KSDK in August that prior cuts had not reached students, but deeper ones would.

"If we were forced to make additional cuts, we would have to make decisions that would impact students in a way we don't want to," Todd said in the August interview.

If the measure fails, the district says it would need additional reductions year after year to close the $75 million gap. Because $15 million has already been cut, future reductions would fall closer to classrooms and student programs.

Even with the increase, Parkway's tax rate would remain lower than it was in 2016 and lower than many other St. Louis County school districts, according to the district. Parkway holds the second-lowest operating tax rate among all county districts.

How to vote

No-excuse early voting runs through Monday, Nov. 2 at the Board of Elections office and several St. Louis County Library branches, including Clark Family, Daniel Boone, Grand Glaize and Thornhill. Polls are open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day, according to Fox 2's voter guide.