Friday, December 14, 2012
LAST CHANCE TO SUBMIT FEEDBACK: For many years, Rockwood School District leaders have used bond funds to pay for ongoing maintenance. But that source of funding came to abrupt halt once the April bond issue failed.
Is Rockwood School District's financial future really a case of comparing "apples and oranges"? It was lately, with today (Friday, Dec. 14) being the last day to submit feedback regarding the district's situational and strategic comparison—all while facing a $5.1 million budget deficit. After comparing the proposed apple versus orange pictures, or scenarios that resulted from the past several months of a community engagement initiative, of Rockwood's potential future, feedback can be submitted a variety of ways: Both Apple and Orange pictures/scenarios include the district eliminating about $1 million from the operating budget for the coming school year. But, the proposals suggest tax increases that would raise revenue over that of the …
Friday, November 30, 2012
School community chairpersons of Rockwood School District's Picture Rockwood Facilitating Committee on Wednesday said most everyone they interact with indicates they are surprised at the district's circumstance and financial shortfalls.
Rockwood School District's "Picture Rockwood" Facilitating Committee members huddled with back-to-back groups Wednesday evening to convey the status of a recent series of community engagement workshops, and to address new questions. With a Jan. 22 deadline to place a tax proposal on the April 2, 2013, ballot looming, they told Patch they realize there is not a lot of time to help others understand this engagement process. But they also said they are committed to reaching as many people as possible, and that they hope the majority of district residents will participate in this next feedback phase before they make a presentation to the Rockwood Board of Education directors on Jan. 10. Picture Rockwood focuses on a state-of-the-district recap…
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Now through Dec. 14, Rockwood School District taxpayers have opportunity to share feedback via telephone survey or online feedback form regarding final summaries chosen to guide district's future strategic direction.
The future direction of Missouri's third largest school district now pivots around two visionary "pictures," which actually are recaps of outcomes based on specific assumptions, revenues and expenditures. A multimonth community engagement process to shape Rockwood School District's strategies moving forward has peaked, and district officials will host the final workshop of the process during the first week of January as they move from Phase 1 to 2 of this overall project. Details of the so-called district "pictures" were supposed to capture broad strategies, not specific action plans, said Rockwood representatives when the project was initiated in October, after Rockwood Board of Education directors approved the project in July. Background…
Friday, May 20, 2011
The school board voted to place a proposal to increase the district's operating fund levy on the November 2011 ballot.
Indicating that "the Rockwood advantage" is in jeopardy, Rockwood School District Board of Education directors voted unanimously at Thursday's meeting to place a proposal to raise the operating tax levy on the November 2011 ballot for voters to decide. The actual dollar amount for the proposed increase will be determined by Aug. 30. The district's operating levy has not been raised since 1994, except as authorized by state statute. The district has forecasted an $8-million to $16-million budget shortfall for the 2012-13 budget. Citing that the two major sources of district revenue are state appropriations and a voter-approved property tax levy, Rockwood Board of Education member Stephen Banton moved to take this step for the fall. Vice …
Mark Schmiedeskamp
8:06 am on Friday, December 14, 2012
Rockwoods needs more money? My what a surprise. I wish I could understand how renovating fields and installing artificial turf has anything to do with academics. Maybe Borchers should hire another of his "consultant" cronies to explain the connection. more ›