Responsible Resources

Rockwood's financial management has been recognized with a Standard & Poor's rating of AAA, making Rockwood one of only four school districts in the state to hold such a high, outstanding rating.

Rockwood has received the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for excellence in annual budget presentation for 25 straight years. The Finance Department has also earned the Certificate for Excellence (COE) in Financial Reporting from the Association of School Business Officials International and the Government Finance Officers Association for 18 straight years. Rockwood is the only school district in the state to hold a S&P AAA rating as well as the MOASVO MBA and COE award from MOASBO and the GFOA.

Rockwood works to provide technology systems and services that support our mission of ensuring all students realize their potential. Classroom technologies include interactive whiteboards or panels (SMART Boards™ and Promethean panels), amplification systems in all elementary classrooms and wireless access. Classrooms with unique technology needs, e.g. Project Lead the Way, are fully equipped to meet those needs. Each high school contains an eSports lab that allows students to participate in this new, statewide club activity.

Rockwood features a 1-to-1 student/technology program that allows secondary students to take their district-issued Chromebook home at the end of the school day. There, they can continue their learning through online collaboration and be ready to bring the device back the next day. Students in grades K-2 use iPads and students in grades 3-5 use Chromebooks in their classrooms.

Rockwood also invests in up-to-date systems to support student achievement and strengthen the home-school connection. These systems include a robust Assessment System; a web-based Student Information System that includes a parent and student portal for access to grades, attendance, and more; and a Child Nutrition System that enables parents to see student meal choices and make online payments.

Rockwood has owned and operated its own fleet of school buses since 2016. The focus is on providing high-quality transportation services for students as well as being good stewards of tax dollars. The cost of managing Rockwood's own bus fleet versus contracting out those services saves district taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Each morning and afternoon, over 10,300 students are transported to and from school.  

For the eight-straight year, Rockwood has earned the Exemplary School Bus Award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) following the latest Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) bus inspection process. In 2024, Rockwood earned a perfect score from the MSHP, with a 100 percent approval rate: all of Rockwood’s 137 buses passed initial inspection. 

The Rockwood School District participates in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. This allows families the opportunity to apply for free and reduced-price meal benefits.

The district also works to provide students with healthy, nutrient-rich food offerings. During the 2023-2024 school year, Child Nutrition served over 209,000 healthy breakfasts to Rockwood students, as well as more than 7,500 nutritious lunches per day. 

More than 1,200 Rockwood families are enrolled in Parents as Teachers (PAT), a nationally recognized program for families expecting a baby until their child enters kindergarten. All Rockwood families and expectant parents are able to access these services. The PAT developmental screening team conducts more than 2,100 developmental screenings per year for children in the early years. Nearly 1,00 children annually are enrolled in the Rockwood Early Childhood Program, located at three centers and in schools within the district community.

(page updated Jan. 2025)