Five months after Rockwood R-VI's operating levy failed by fewer than 500 votes, school districts elsewhere in St. Louis County just showed voters will say yes — and that gap is hard to ignore for families in Chesterfield and Wildwood.
On April 7, residents in the Ferguson-Florissant School District approved a tax increase, and voters in the School District of Clayton passed bond measures, according to St. Louis Public Radio's election night report. They weren't alone: districts across the region put measures before voters this spring tied to staffing, security, and facility upgrades.
For Rockwood, the timing stings a little. Proposition S — a 45-cent operating levy increase and the district's first ask for operating funds since 1994 — fell short on November 4, 2025, losing 51% to 49%. St. Louis County certified the final count on November 10: 11,060 No versus 10,566 Yes, according to the official Rockwood district page on Prop S.
The measure would have raised teacher and staff salaries to be more competitive with neighboring districts, expanded health care benefits to more employee groups, and added two school safety officers. The Rockwood Board of Education voted 6-0 to put it on the ballot on August 8, 2025.
The financial pressure that drove Prop S hasn't eased. Rockwood's current tax rate sits at $3.8816 per $100 of assessed valuation — its lowest point in more than 30 years, down nearly 16% from a decade ago, per the district's tax levy records. Local property taxes fund 79% of Rockwood's operating budget, and the district carries one of the lowest rates in St. Louis County despite serving more than 18,500 students and nearly 3,400 staff members, according to the district's 2025-2026 annual report.
"To stay competitive, we need to address the gap between our salaries and those of other districts," Rockwood Chief Financial Officer Cyndee Byous said when the board placed Prop S on the ballot last August. "The cost of everything has gone up since 1994. Our current funding levels, while managed responsibly, no longer keep pace with the rising costs of education and the need to offer competitive compensation."
Whether Rockwood will bring a revised levy measure back to voters — and when — has not been publicly announced. Parkway C-2, which serves eastern Chesterfield, has not announced any levy or bond plans either.
The two districts have been moving in closer orbit. On March 4, 2026, their boards held a joint work session at the Junior Achievement offices in Chesterfield — described by both districts as a first-of-its-kind meeting — to address proposed state legislation and its potential fiscal and programming impacts, according to a Rockwood district announcement. Dr. Chris Gaines, chief executive officer of EducationPlus, presented to both boards.
Tuesday's results won't force Rockwood's hand. But they add a data point families here will be watching: in multiple St. Louis County communities, voters have recently shown they'll fund their schools when asked. The question for Chesterfield and Wildwood is whether district leaders see the same opening — and whether they'll take it.
