Survey Demographics

94%Homeowners in the district

89%Plan to vote in the November election

77%Have children under 18 in household

55%Have lived in WGSD for more than 10 years

10%Employees of the school district

Overall Score

39

trending_up+7 Point Increase

Compared to NPS of 32 in Fall 2025

NPS Calculation Formula

The score is calculated by subtracting the percentage of detractors from the percentage of promoters.

54.04% Promoters

minus

15.52% Detractors

Result Score: 38.52 (Rounded to 39)

Classroom & Community

Appeals focusing on direct classroom impact and community benefit are highly convincing.

40% Very Convincing

"Without revenue increase, cuts will impact classroom quality"

39% Very Convincing

"Strong schools benefit the entire community"

Concerns

Taxes

Affordability and structural transparency represent moderate to high concerns among residents.

Property Taxes

16.7% Very Convincing�31.4% Somewhat Convincing

Lack of Transparency

14% Very Convincing�30% Somewhat Convincing

Overall Takeaway

Prioritize classroom quality and community value. Affordability and budget clarity remain vital secondary pillars.

Key Questions Asked

• How much money do you expect the tax-rate increase to raise?
• Specifically, what would the additional revenue from a tax-rate increase go towards?
• Where does WG fall in terms of salaries compared to other St. Louis County districts?
• What positions are currently being lost through attrition?

thumb_up

Protect Opportunities

Strong, passionate support exists for protecting our current programming, particularly, Music, Band and Fine Arts programs.

groups

Volunteering

High willingness from parents to volunteer.

analytics

Presentation Scope

Continue providing clear, specific information that connects financial data to Webster Groves School District's unique circumstances.

payments

Transparency

Continue communicating the district's ongoing efforts to manage expenses responsibly while explaining the factors contributing to the projected budget gap and the role a potential operating tax levy could play.

Proposed Solution

65¢

OPERATING TAX LEVY

Promote Long-Term Stability

To balance the current budget and promote long-term fiscal stability, the district's projections indicate a 65-cent operating tax levy is the necessary path forward.

Community Impact: For the average taxpayer, this translates to an estimated investment of $125 per year for a homeowner with a current $100,000 assessed property value.

Without intervention (no tax levy increase or expenditure reductions), the fund balance rapidly depletes, falling from a healthy 41.53% to near zero (1.26%) by the 2029-2030 fiscal year.

2026-2027

41.53%

2027-2028

45.94%

2028-2029

45.50%

2029-2030

44.13%

Combining the tax levy increase with $2,000,000 in strategic expenditure reductions over the next several fiscal years results in the most sustainable model, maintaining a highly stable fund balance comfortably above 44% throughout the projection period.

Resources for Community and Staff

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Financial Transparency

https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/discover/one-webster

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District Budget

https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/departments/business-operations/business-finance/budgets

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Proposed Solution

65¢

OPERATING TAX LEVY

Shall the Board of Education of the Webster Groves School District, St. Louis County, Missouri, be authorized to increase the operating levy of the school district by sixty-five cents ($0.65) per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation for the purpose of supporting high quality educational programs for students, attracting and retaining qualified teachers and staff, maintaining competitive salaries and benefits, and paying general operating expenses of the school district? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted operating levy of the school district is estimated to be $4.0448 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.