When the Parkway C-2 Board of Education meets tonight at 7 p.m. at Craig Elementary School in Ballwin, it will be the board's first regular session since approving spring budget adjustments on April 15. No agenda for tonight's meeting had been published as of press time.

The backdrop is stark. The district already cut $12.7 million from its 2025-26 budget by leaving positions unfilled and reducing supplies. Its spring budget adjustment set General Fund spending at $111.9 million against $106.1 million in revenue. Starting in 2027-28, spending is projected to outpace incoming revenue on an ongoing basis.

Missouri's FY2027 state budget, sent to Governor Mike Kehoe on May 6, keeps school funding flat. Fully funding the state foundation formula would require an additional $190.6 million. Parkway is 92% locally funded through property taxes, leaving the district largely on its own.

Superintendent Dr. Melissa Schneider was direct at a district community conversation in April. "We have a real challenge ahead of us, and it's not being sugar-coated," she said. "If we don't find another way to supplement our funding, we will have to make cuts [with a] large-scale impact."

Medical and dental insurance expenses rose nearly 44% year-over-year through February, according to district financial statements. A single school bus now costs $162,258, up from $90,000 a decade ago. The Senior Citizen Property Tax Freeze is projected to reduce Parkway's revenue by $33.6 million over the next ten years.

Board President Jeff Todd has acknowledged the pressure. The district hasn't asked voters to approve a tax levy increase in 20 years and carries the second-lowest residential tax rate in St. Louis County.

Parkway and neighboring Rockwood R-VI have been coordinating their response, holding a first-of-its-kind joint board session in March and a follow-up parent legislative update on April 21. Parkway has also held listening sessions at all four high schools and launched investedinparkway.net for community input.

Tonight's meeting is at 760 Woods Mill Road, Ballwin, at 7 p.m.