Jefferson County Labor Club endorses Fox School District’s Prop I

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Missouri Correspondent

The Jefferson County Labor Club is backing a proposition on the Aug. 8 ballot that would increase property tax rates in the Fox C-6 School District to help pay for competitive salaries for teachers and staff.

Prop I, which stands for Invest in Our Students, Our Schools and Our Community, would increase property taxes by .9207 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. This means the average annual tax increase for the owner of a $200,000 home would be approximately $350 per year, or just under $29 per month. The current tax rate is $4.2526

“Fox C-6 currently has the second lowest total tax rate of all school districts in Jefferson County and St. Louis County,” said Fox Superintendent Paul Fregeau. “The district relies on local taxes for 51.53 percent of its budget. Historic levels of inflation along with a low tax rate make it difficult for Fox C-6 to continue to be competitive with neighboring school districts in terms of staffing and program offerings.”

Specifically, money raised by the money raised by the tax increase will:

• Recruit and retain highly qualified, certified and operational staff.
• Maintain a wide variety of innovative course offerings and a variety of programs for its students to prepare them for the workforce.
• Continue to staff schools at or below Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s recommendations.

“There might be some confusion because voters passed a no tax bond issue in June of 2022 to be used for facility improvements, along with safety and security upgrades,”  Fregeau said. “Bonds cannot be used to pay for the day-to-day operating costs of a school district.”

The Jefferson County Labor Club learned about the proposition at its June meeting and endorsed it a month later. It is also endorsed by the Fox National Education Association.

Labor Club President Chuck DeMoulin said the club would be happy to get the word out about the need for the extra tax, but recommended the district come to the board a lot sooner with propositions in the future.

“We’re all for the teachers and staff being paid competitively, but we really need the extra time to get organized so we have enough boots on the ground when it comes to elections,” he said. “A strong school district means a strong community.”

Fregeau said the district is getting the word out about the proposition through public meetings and social media.