Parkway Voters Approve Prop P Tax Levy With 60% Support

Parkway School District families will pay more in property taxes after voters approved Proposition P on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with about 60% support.

The measure raises the district's operating tax levy by 46 cents per $100 of assessed value. For the owner of a $400,000 home, that means roughly $364 more per year, according to STLPR.

Proposition P results

Parkway Schools said on Facebook on election night that 60.17% of voters approved the measure. These results are unofficial and have not been certified by the St. Louis County Board of Elections.

Raw vote totals were not available in captured sources as of Wednesday, Nov. 4.

It was the district's first operating levy request in 20 years. Parkway last asked voters for a tax increase in 2006, according to the district's Proposition P page. Even with the increase, the district said its tax rate would still be lower than it was in 2016.

Why the district asked for more money

Parkway faced a projected $75 million budget shortfall over the next decade, driven by rising costs that outpaced revenue growth. Board of Education President Jeff Todd pointed to specific price spikes in an October interview with the Pathfinder, a Parkway West student newspaper.

Todd said expenditures "like the cost of a school bus [have] gone up 32% in the last five years." He added: "Our water cost for 29 buildings in the Parkway School District was about $300,000 10 years ago. Five years ago, it was double that, and this year it's going to be almost $1 million for water."

Missouri's Hancock Amendment required Parkway to roll back its tax rate when property assessments rose faster than inflation. The St. Louis County senior citizen property tax freeze, effective Jan. 1, 2024, cut into revenue further. The district projected it could lose roughly $30 million over the next decade from the freeze alone, according to the district's Proposition P page.

Before placing Prop P on the ballot, the district trimmed $15.4 million from its budget over two years. Cuts included leaving some positions unfilled, reducing professional development spending and increasing employee health insurance premiums by 15% for the 2026 plan year, according to the district.

Parkway held the second-lowest operating tax rate among St. Louis County school districts before the vote.

What the money is for

The district said the levy increase would help retain and attract teachers and support staff, maintain safe and secure schools, and sustain academic and extracurricular experiences for students. Chief Financial Officer Carrie Nunn told the Pathfinder the funding targets three goals: maintaining academic quality, attracting qualified teachers and keeping schools safe.

What families should know

Residents already approved for the county’s senior property tax freeze will not pay additional eligible property taxes because of Prop P, according to Parkway. The increase applies based on the 2027 assessment.

Superintendent Dr. Melissa Schneider and Board President Jeff Todd signed a thank-you letter posted Nov. 4 pledging the district would prioritize "transparent financial stewardship."

The Parkway Board of Education unanimously voted to place Prop P on the ballot after a series of community meetings and surveys. Residents who participated consistently emphasized three priorities: protecting academic quality, preserving the community's investment in schools and maintaining long-term financial planning, according to the district.