After Prop S failed at the ballot last week, Superintendent Dr. Curtis Cain said now is a time for the district to reflect.

“Our community has spoken, and I think we need to honor that,” Dr. Cain said. “It’s important to not undersell or to overestimate what a single ballot item means in terms of support and thought about a school district.”

The community voted on Tuesday, Nov. 4, to not pass Prop S, a proposed $0.45 tax levy that would dedicate funds to increasing staff salaries and expanding healthcare benefits, on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Over 22,000 people cast their ballots for Prop S, with the final vote being 51% No and 49% Yes.

Dr. Cain and other members from the district gave a total of 103 presentations since school started in an effort to make sure the community was informed about Prop S before the election.

“When I think of the competitive nature of this market, I absolutely believe what we shared was nothing but the truth, and there is absolutely the potential for consequence with this not in fact passing,” Dr. Cain said.

In the future, Dr. Cain said Rockwood and other districts will need to pay attention to what’s happening legislatively. A committee made up of a select number of legislators and state board members is looking to reexamine the state funding for public education. This fiscal formula rewrite is due to the governor’s office by December 2026.

Dr. Cain said more than 20% of the district’s funding comes from outside the local community.

“If something happens at the state or federal level, there will be a ripple impact,” Dr. Cain said. “We’re a large school district with a reputation and a tradition we should be proud of, but we still operate within the framework of the state.”

During the 2027-28 school year, teacher contracts will be renegotiated based on the current agreement. Dr. Cain said the district will evaluate its position at that time to determine how salary negotiations will proceed.

“I think we’re going to have to make decisions based on the resources that are in front of us, but to be clear, that is what the Rockwood School District has always done,” Dr. Cain.

Brooke Scheidler, senior, voted for the first time in Tuesday’s election. Scheidler said she felt she should vote because she had the ability to.

“I do live here, I do go to this school, so it’s relevant to me,” Scheidler said.

Scheidler said she wasn’t surprised by the outcome of Prop S because since she heard people in the community talk about it, but she can see both sides.

“I am sad for my teachers and my friends’ parents who are teachers in this area because I know that would’ve been really good for them,” Scheidler said. “But at the same time I feel for all of the families who don’t have kids that go to a public school in this area, and don’t want their taxes to be raised.”

Rockwood National Education Association (RNEA) president Tom Cook said he is worried about Rockwood’s future.

Current issues such as high turnover rates and staff shortages won’t go away, Cook said. A high turnover rate occurs when teachers come to a district for a couple years to gain experience and then leave for a higher-paying district.

“If we have a high turnover rate, and aren’t able to keep long term, and highly experienced staff, that’s ultimately going to affect the quality of education in Rockwood,” Cook said.

Cook said he wasn’t expecting this result as he had a lot of positive conversations with people at the polls and in the community.

It will take time to reflect on the result and figure out why Prop S didn’t pass, Cook said. Cook said he hopes to have constructive conversations with the community to figure out how to support Rockwood in the future.

”I don’t want this to be a divisive outcome. I would rather it be a chance for us to try and come together and find unity because I think we all want Rockwood schools to succeed,” Cook said. “I think the community has that common goal.”

The RNEA executive board will continue conversations started during Prop S as well as continue public education efforts and look at data from the St. Louis County elections commission about the vote to determine the RNEA’s next steps, Cook said.

Cook said these conversations were about the reality of funding in Rockwood, how every district has a different tax base for revenue and different districts receive varying amounts of funding from the state.

”We have to make the commitment together to adequately fund our public services, such as education,” Cook said.

While Cook said that he knows that staff members are disappointed by the vote, he knows that they will continue doing everything they can to provide for the Rockwood students.

”This is just the result of one election, it does not change Rockwood’s legacy of providing a high quality education to students. It does not change our dedication to continuing and protecting and strengthening, that reputation and that legacy,” Cook said. “It doesn’t change the core of what we do as a district.”

Kelsey Smith, Spanish teacher, said she supports herself on her Rockwood salary, but Smith said she might have to adjust in the future by getting a second job.

“I’m also nervous, not only for me financially but I’m also nervous about the future education of my future students,” Smith said.

One of Smith’s concerns is the district’s ability to retain qualified staff. She said even though people are drawn to Rockwood, a different district offering the same job with a higher salary could influence a teacher looking for employment.

Smith also said teaching has seen a decrease in general. The World Language Department has had to hire student teachers because there were no fully certified teachers to teach for the past two years. 

Also, Smith said she is worried that if cuts have to be made, the World Language department might be at risk since World Language courses are not a high school graduation requirement in Rockwood.

Prior to the election, Smith canvassed local neighborhoods. She said she heard some community members wanted more information about how the funds from Prop S would be divided.

“In some of those conversations, custodial staff, secretaries, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, they were mentioned in where the money will go, but teachers were never really mentioned,” Smith said.

Now, Smith said she is working to reach the Master’s degree + 30 hours step on the Rockwood teacher pay scale. This would mean her salary would increase, which would provide a safety net in case there is a salary freeze in year three of the current contract negotiations.

“So I’m trying to do what I can to basically get my max pay to help my future self,” Smith said.