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Local school officials outline April 7 ballot measures at Dellwood meeting
Summary
Officials from Riverview Gardens and Ferguson‑Florissant described separate April 7 ballot questions — Riverview Gardens’ Proposition N (a debt‑service transfer described as a 'no increase' option) and Ferguson‑Florissant’s Proposition S (a proposed 48¢ operating levy) — and answered questions about budget impacts and household cost estimates.
Dr. Joel Ramsdell, assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction at Riverview Gardens, described Proposition N during the Dellwood Board of Aldermen meeting and said it is a "no increase tax levy transfer option" that would move 20¢ per $100 in assessed value from the district’s debt‑service fund into its general operating fund. Ramsdell said the transfer would not raise taxes and would, he said, "allow us to put about $750,000 back into operating, over a 10 year period." He also told the board the district is operating under substantial budget pressure, which he characterized as "about a $10,000,000 deficit," and said the transfer is one of several steps the district is taking to address that shortfall.
Ramsdell responded to a question about what happens if the bond does not pass, and he said the district is also closing a school and pursuing other measures to reduce costs. He emphasized the transfer would not affect the district’s ability to make debt‑service payments, saying officials had reviewed that impact.
Albert Field, superintendent of the Ferguson‑Florissant School District, spoke next during public comment to outline Proposition S, a proposed 48¢ operating‑tax levy on the April 7 ballot. Field said the levy would be used to "enhance school safety and security systems, upgrade technology infrastructure and cyber security protections, address essential staffing needs, [and] support competitive pay for non‑administrative employees." He provided household impact examples included in his remarks: a home with a $100,000 assessed value was estimated at about $91 annually; $120,000 at about $109 annually; and $150,000 at about $137 annually.
Both presenters urged voters to participate on April 7 but did not ask the board to take a formal position. The board did not take formal action on either ballot measure during the meeting; both topics were raised as part of public comment and informational presentations.
The April 7 ballot date is the next procedural step referenced by both speakers; voters will decide the measures at the polls.
