Voter Guide

Simple majority required.Ballot wording: Shall the Board of Education of the School District of Maplewood Richmond Heights, St. Louis County, Missouri, be authorized to increase the operating tax levy of the District by $0.50 per $100 of assessed valuation for paying general operating expenses, including salaries and benefits to develop and retain teachers? If this proposition is approved, the total levy of the school district is expected to remain unchanged due to an expected decrease in the debt service levy of the school district that will offset the $0.50 increase to the operating levy of the school district, resulting in the adjusted operating levy of the school district per $100 of assessed valuation to be estimated at $4.0173 for residential real property, $4.4767 for commercial real property, and $5.9658 for personal property.Summary: This measure authorizes the district to increase the operating levy by the same amount ($0.50 per $100 of assessed valuation) that it will reduce its debt service levy. If passed, approximately $2.2 million would be added to the operating fund annually, but taxes would not increase. The increased revenue would be used to attract and retain quality teachers and staff by offering more competitive salaries and benefits. Proponents say the district faces the potential loss of talented educators and support staff, larger class sizes and programmatic cuts without increased operating funds. The passage of both Propositions B and E are needed to move the district forward.