Prop S FAQ: The Tax Rate

Rockwood's current tax rate is $3.8816. Within the overall rate of $3.8816, there are four rates that correspond to each of the four school funds: Incidental ($1.4753), Teachers ($1.6463), Capital Projects ($0.6200) and Debt Service ($0.1400).

It is important to note that because of Missouri's Hancock Amendment, school districts cannot experience a "windfall" when assessed values increase. School districts are required to roll back, or lower, the tax rate when revenues are in excess of a percentage based upon the personal income of Missourians. Each reassessment year when the voters have not established a new tax rate ceiling, the Rockwood school board reduces the district's operating tax rate to comply with the Hancock Amendment.

It is also important to note that when setting the tax rate in September 2025, the Board of Education rolled back the district's tax rate $0.0010 to maintain the total tax rate promised to voters in their approval of Prop 3, passed in November 2023.  Rockwood's tax rate is at its lowest point in over 30 years.

We haven't had an operating tax increase in more than 30 years. The district's current residential tax rate is $3.8826, which is among the lowest in St. Louis County. We have worked tirelessly to be good stewards of our residents' tax dollars and have made them stretch as far as we can, based on future projections.

On a home with a county-appraised value of $400,000 (assessed value of $76,000), the 45-cent levy increase would result in $28.50 more per month (or $342 annually). Here are additional examples, based on the county-appraised value of your home:

Example:

The current Rockwood tax rate is $3.8816 per $100 of assessed value. So for a home with a $400,000 county appraised value ($76,000 assessed value) currently paying $2,950.02 to Rockwood, the increase would bring the Rockwood portion of the tax bill to $3,292.02, or an increase of $342 annually.

Remember, it is $0.45 per $100 of assessed value (which is 19% of your county-appraised value). Here is the calculation:

Prop S, if passed, will impact the tax rate that is set in tax year 2026. Senior citizens who apply for the St. Louis County Senior Citizen Tax Freeze or the Jefferson County Real Property Tax Credit for Seniors prior to June 30, 2026 and are approved for the 2026 tax year would see no increase in the Rockwood tax due in 2026 (and beyond as long as they continue to meet the established eligibility guidelines) as a result of the Prop S increase.

We have not been provided any data from the counties to calculate the actual impact, but as discussed in our 2025-26 budget presentation on May 1, 2025 as well as in our tax rate hearing on September 25, 2025, we know the freeze will reduce our tax collections. As shown below, the Senior Tax Freeze does not reduce the taxes levied, it only impacts taxes paid. The district will collect the same amount in future years as it collected in the base year of the senior citizen’s qualification for the freeze.

The district historically achieves a 97% collection of taxes levied, but we are estimating that the collection rate will drop at least to 93% due to the credits on Senior Tax Freeze. This represents an estimated $7.2 million decrease in revenue in the first year of the freeze.