Proposition S

Despite a recent $1,300 increase in teacher base pay, the district’s salaries remain among the lowest compared to neighboring districts. Passing Proposition S will provide a significant raise to all staff, improving competitiveness and helping to attract and retain quality educators.

If the proposition does not pass, the district’s ability to offer competitive salaries and benefits will be adversely affected, although efforts such as the Grow Your Own and Pathways to Teaching programs will continue.

The district's total tax rate includes funds allocated for different purposes:

• Incidental and Teachers Fund: Daily operations, including salaries, benefits, and other operating costs.
• Debt Service Fund: Payment of interest and principal on the district’s debt.
• Capital Projects Fund: Maintenance and refreshment of district facilities and equipment.

If Proposition S passes, the total tax rate will increase from $4.3207 to $4.9163 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.

Shall the Board of Education of the School District of St. Joseph, Missouri, be authorized to fully eliminate the Proposition C Rollback in its operating levy under Section 164.013 RSMo in order to provide additional funds for the primary purpose of increasing salaries and assisting with recruitment and retention of staff? (If this proposition is approved the adjusted operating levy of the School District is estimated to be $4.3863 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation, which reflects the District’s current maximum operating levy with no Proposition C rollback.) 

When is the August election?
The election is Tuesday, August 6, 2024.

How will this proposal appear on the August 6 ballot?
Shall the Board of Education of the School District of St. Joseph, Missouri, be authorized to fully eliminate the Proposition C Rollback in its operating levy under Section 164.013 RSMo in order to provide additional funds for the primary purpose of increasing salaries and assisting with recruitment and retention of staff? (If this proposition is approved the adjusted operating levy of the School District is estimated to be $4.3863 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation, which reflects the District’s current maximum operating levy with no Proposition C rollback.) 

The proposal will appear on the ballot as Proposition S
Shall the Board of Education of the School District of St. Joseph, Missouri, be authorized to fully eliminate the Proposition C Rollback in its operating levy under Section 164.013 RSMo in order to provide additional funds for the primary purpose of increasing salaries and assisting with recruitment and retention of staff?

(If this proposition is approved the adjusted operating levy of the School District is estimated to be $4.9163 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation, which reflects the

District’s current maximum operating levy with no Proposition C rollback.)

Why is the St. Joseph School District requesting this change?
The Board of Education voted in May to place this proposal on the August 2024 ballot to address the priority of attracting and retaining high quality staff.

How will the funds be specifically used?
The funds from the Prop C waiver will be used to enhance salaries for all staff. If passed, raises for all employees will be at a flat rate of $2,750 per staff member for fiscal 2024-25. Part-time staff will receive a proportional rate increase.

What is Proposition C?
The Missouri School and Highway Tax Proposition, also known as Proposition C, was on the November 2, 1982, ballot in Missouri as an initiated state statute, where it was approved. The measure supplemented school and highway funds by an additional one cent on dollar sales and use taxes. The measure also reduced property taxes for schools by one half of the additional sales tax revenue received by schools unless local residents voted to waive the required rollback.

What is a Full Proposition C Waiver?
A Proposition C Waiver is an approval by local voters to waive the rollback applied to their operating tax levy. Of the 518 school districts in Missouri, 468 (91%) have fully waived and 24 have partially waived their Proposition C rollback. St. Joseph School District is one of 26 districts with no waiver.

What makes up our tax rate?
The district’s total tax rate consists of four rates; one for each of the District’s funds. Under Missouri law, tax dollars collected in each fund can only be used for the purposes of that fund. 

• Funds 1 & 2 (Incidental and Teachers Fund) provide resources for the daily operations of the district, including payment of salaries and benefits for employees, student transportation, curriculum resources, utilities, insurance, student activities, and other general operating costs.

• Fund 3 (Debt Service) provides funding to pay interest and principal on the district’s debt (bond issues).

• Fund 4 (Capital Projects) provides funding to maintain and refresh the district’s facilities and equipment.

Currently, the total of these funds results in a total tax rate of $4.3207 but will increase to $4.9163 if Proposition S passes by a simple majority vote.

How competitive is St. Joseph School District compared to teacher salaries in surrounding districts?
In March, the Board of Education unanimously approved a $1,300 increase in teacher base pay for the 2024-25 school year. Despite this raise, St. Joseph School District teacher salaries are still among the lowest compared to neighboring districts.

If Proposition S passes, raises for all employees will be at a flat rate of $2,750 per staff member for fiscal 2024-25. Part-time and hourly staff will receive a proportional rate increase. 

Where does our tax levy currently rank compared to other surrounding districts?
The St. Joseph School District’s current tax levy of $4.3207 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation is among the lowest in the region. Even with the proposed increase to $4.9163, our tax levy will remain significantly lower than many districts we compete with to retain high-quality staff. Many neighboring districts have levies exceeding $5.00. This modest increase is essential to offer competitive salaries and retain our talented educators, yet it still ensures our tax rate is lower than many of our competitors.

What happens if the question doesn't pass?
The ability to attract and retain high quality staff by providing competitive salaries and benefits would be impacted. The district will continue promoting in-house programs such as Grow Your Own and Pathways to Teaching.

How do I register to vote?
Patrons may register to vote at the Buchanan County Clerk’s Office, at any Public Library, by mail, at the Driver’s License Bureau or online at the Missouri Secretary of State website.

When is the last day to register to vote?
The deadline to register to vote is July 10, 2024. Election Day is Tuesday, August 6, 2024.