Board considers proposition that would fund recurring maintenance without raising the tax rate

The Mehlville Board of Education is considering a proposal to ensure schools remain safe, functional and supportive of student learning – without increasing the current tax rate.

The proposal would generate an estimated $1.4 million annually for recurring maintenance needs by making a temporary tax levy permanent and reallocating a small portion of the district’s existing debt service levy from Proposition S. The proposal would require voter approval in either November 2025 or April 2026, and would provide long-term stability for essential infrastructure like roofing, school buses, technology equipment, parking lot maintenance and building safety – all of which directly impact our students’ daily learning experience.

“When we maintain our facilities, we protect our community resources and the environment where learning happens,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jeff Haug. “A classroom with a leaky roof or unreliable technology infrastructure distracts from learning. A well-maintained school helps students and staff stay focused, safe and comfortable.”

What’s being proposed

Specifically, the Board of Education is considering a proposition for a future ballot that:

• Makes permanent the temporary Proposition A capital levy. This levy, originally approved by voters in 2016, brings in about $822,000 each year and sunsets after fiscal year 2026. To date, 80% of this funding has been used to replace aging roofs. This levy is estimated at 3.26 cents.
• Redirects 2.4 cents from the 12-cent Proposition S debt service levy to the operating fund. As the district pays down its existing bond obligations, an estimated 2.4 cents of the levy is no longer required to make minimum debt service payments. This tax transfer would add an estimated $605,000 in annual revenue.
• Ballot language would require that all funds generated are used to replace buses and maintain essential infrastructure like roofing, parking lots and technology and security. Together, these changes would provide an estimated $1.4 million per year without increasing the current tax rate.

Why this matters

Many of the district’s capital needs are both ongoing and predictable. Each year, the district expects to spend $850,000 on roofing, $700,000 on school buses, $325,000 on asphalt and parking lot maintenance, and $450,000 on technology equipment and infrastructure.

“We spend about $2.3 million annually on these predictable and necessary maintenance needs,” said Chief Financial Officer Marshall Crutcher. The proposed $1.4 million covers about 61 percent of the listed recurring needs and would provide a consistent, stable and long-term funding stream, Crutcher said. This approach is about staying ahead, not falling behind.

“We’ve seen what happens when maintenance gets deferred,” Crutcher said. “It forces the district into expensive ‘catch-up’ mode. This proposition would help us avoid that.”

Looking ahead

The Board of Education will continue its consideration of the proposal throughout the summer. The board must decide by their August 2025 meeting if they’d like to put a proposition on the November 2025 ballot. They must decide in January if they’d like to put a proposition on the April 2026 ballot. If placed on the ballot, the zero-tax-rate-increase levy would require a simple majority to pass. 

Mehlville School District is currently seeking the public’s opinion on the proposal. Mehlville School District is conducting a mail and online survey. Surveys were mailed to a random sample of registered voters. Some of these surveys were delayed in the mail. If you received this survey, please disregard the deadline and respond using the link provided in the mailer or using the postage-paid envelope.

Community members who didn’t receive a mailed survey, can provide their feedback using this link.