Brentwood School Tax Rate Increase Among Highest
Brentwood, Ladue and Bayless school districts have seen the steepest increases.
As the Brentwood Board of Education has asked a special commision to take a close look at the district's finances, a Dec. 19 article in the St. Louis Post Dispatch points out the school district tax rate has increased 44 percent since 2007.
Among St. Louis County school districts, the three highest tax rate increases on a percentage basis were in Bayless, Ladue and Brentwood.
Voters in Bayless approved a 28 percent tax rate increase, while Ladue voters approved a tax rate hike of 17 percent.
In Brentwood, the School Board acted on its own to raise the district’s rate by almost 10 percent, to $3.95 per $100 of assessed valuation.
Brentwood’s tax rate has jumped by 44 percent since 2007, when the district’s rate was $2.74. That same period saw a steady rise in staff and administration salaries, which account for about 80 percent of a typical district’s budget.
“We have to ask for enough in our operating levy to pay for expenses,” said Brentwood Superintendent Dave Faulkner.
Read the complete article, about property taxes across the St. Louis region, in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Also in Patch:
TOOWARM
8:27 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
My bill went up $100. My assessment is down $20,000. Faulkner says "we have to ask". What arrogance ... Let me correct him .. "WE TAKE". I have printed out the Post article and will go door to door reminding residents if a tax increase is placed on Aprils ballot.
Kevin Madras
9:37 am on Thursday, December 20, 2012
This may be correct, but I will remind everyone that the Brentwood School District is still the 3rd cheapest in the county. I believe Ladue has the lowest, followed by Parkway, then Brentwood. Webster is one of the highest, if not the highest. My children all went through the Brentwood schools and my daughter graduated from college in 3.5 years. The Brentwood School District has not had a tax increase since 2003, they had a bond issue in 2008. Just because they ask to raise the tax levey, that doesn't mean the will actually raise it to the top of the scale in the first year.
TOOWARM
3:29 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
A 44% increase over 5 years doesn't qualify as an increase? I guess the County owes me a huge refund as my bills have not actually increased since 2003. Thanks for bringing that to my attention.
Kevin Madras
6:31 pm on Thursday, December 20, 2012
Please understand when they seek a higher tax i.e. 2003. They normally don't raise it to the maximum for years. Brentwood School District still does not tax the residential home owners the max., that passed in 2003. It has gone to the max for business property this year. Since they are under the ceiling voters appoved in 2003, they can and have raised the rate, but a Brentwood Education still is one of the cheapest public school district in the county.