Schools

Rockwood Estimates Upcoming Tax Rate

Per Missouri law, Rockwood School District announces its 2011 estimated tax rate prior to the September 2011 public hearing at which the actual tax rate will be approved.

Rockwood School District's estimated 2011 tax rate is $4.3216, which is an increase of 1 percent from last year's tax rate of $4.2752, as announced by the district's chief financial officer, Shirley Broz, in a news release.

She said district representatives had decreased the tax rate as assessed values in residential property rose in St. Louis County in previous years because they are "sensitive to the challenging financial times taxpayers are facing." At the April 7 Rockwood board of education meeting, she emphasized the overall actions that the district has taken during the past five years has resulted in a cost savings of $22,374,160.

Broz stated the 2011 estimated tax includes an operating tax rate of $3.6416 and a debt service tax rate of 0.6800. She said the district voluntarily lowered its debt service rate 7 cents in 2008 due to an increase in assessed values from new construction, the early pay-off of the Chesterfield Valley Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District and increasing property values.

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Previous years' tax rates were as follows.

2010 Actual Tax Rate  4.2752 2009 Actual Tax Rate  4.0083 2008 Actual Tax Rate  3.9232 2007 Actual Tax Rate  3.9987 2006 Actual Tax Rate  4.4177

State legislation requires school districts in reassessment years to project an estimated non-binding tax rate before April 8, so that taxpayers have information regarding how changes in their assessed values affect annual tax bills. During September, a public hearing will be held to approve the actual tax rate for the 2011-2012 school year.

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The equation for the final rate this fall will reflect additional details not available presently, including current personal property assessed values and reductions in real property assessed values that result from property assessment appeals.

With this estimated increase, average residential taxpayers with homes valued at $247,955 would pay approximately $5 more in real property taxes to Rockwood this year than they did in 2010. Broz said the difference is due to an average decline in residential property values of nearly 1 percent due to reassessments.

Editor's Note:  Fenton-High Ridge Patch Editor Dan Barger contributed the following comparison chart of school districts regarding tax rates for this article. Source of the data is St. Louis County Collector's Office.

SCHOOL DISTRICT 2010 RATE PERCENTAGE INCREASE OVER 2009 Normandy $6.25 6.79 Hazelwood $6.22 3.01 Webster Groves $5.58 14.74 Jennings $5.50 8.73 Riverview Gardens $5.18 8.05 Affton $5.03 6.18 Maplewood-Richmond Heights $4.99 21.77 Valley Park $4.72 3.33 University City $4.66 10.73 Ferguson-Florissant $4.62 0 Ritenour $4.62 8.28 ROCKWOOD $4.28 6.66 Kirkwood $4.19 2.51 Hancock Place $4.17 2.07 Pattonville $4.08 11.06 Clayton $3.74 3.17 Parkway $3.57 4.61 Mehlville $3.55 2.74 Brentwood $3.43 15.33 Bayless $3.28 2.18 Lindbergh $3.13 0 Ladue $3.10 4.03 Special $1.00 6.03


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