Council members, MRH board member responds to councilman’s opposition to Prop Y

By
Doug Miner
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55
321

Maplewood Ward 1 Councilman David Cerven surprised some by coming out against Proposition Y, the MRH school district’s proposed tax levy voters will decide on April 5. Cerven is the treasurer of the ‘Vote No On Y’ campaign committee. He said in 40 South his main concern is the tax rate in Maplewood.

In response, MRH school board member, Nelson Mitten; and Shawn Faulkingham (by phone) and Megan Moylan, Maplewood and Richmond Heights council members asked me, 40 South editor, to meet at the MRH central office on Tuesday to talk about Cerven’s concerns.

Mitten said Cerven’s voice may carry weight, as an elected city official, but they’re especially concerned because his comments show a misunderstanding of school finances as well as needs of the district.

He said it’s not surprising because Cerven didn’t attend the joint city council’s board breakfast in January where they discussed Proposition Y, or either of the town hall meetings on Prop Y, where all the information in support of the tax levy was provided.

“Not taking advantage of those opportunities puts him at a severe disadvantage and calls into question the merits of his statements,” Mitten said.

Mitten made these points on Tuesday:

  • Comparing the finances of the City of Maplewood with the school district’s is wrong, as the district has to rely solely upon property taxes for local funding, while the city can rely on the 48 percent in sales taxes it gets to fund its activities — sales taxes that have risen from $2.8 million in 2012 to an estimated $3.6 million for this year.
  • The Hancock Amendment limits the district’s revenues to the amount we received from the tax levy in 2010, with limited exceptions for increases. Because of this MRH rolled back its tax rates the last two years, and the district’s current revenues are slightly above what they were in 2010, despite two reassessments. The city’s sales tax revenue is not so limited.
  • Cerven has not suggested any solutions to the increased enrollment and overcrowding the district is  experiencing, without additional revenue.
  • MRH’s rates will be always be slightly higher than a majority of districts in St. Louis County because our assessed valuation is lower. Mitten referenced a recent article in nextSTL that graphically illustrates this point.
  • The school district has already cut over $1 million from the budget before asking our citizens for additional revenues.

Faulkingham said he is a firm believer in “synergy” when it comes to having a successful community. “Having a strong school district helps having a strong city and  strong business district, and when people have demanded and supported the kind of school system we currently have, it goes without saying, that to this date the school board has done a great job managing the school financially and administratively.”

He also said a lot of property in Maplewood is retail, which it makes it more difficult (the school doesn’t get sales taxes, only property taxes). “But it’s important that we do it. We’ve got to have a strong school district, otherwise you don’t have the kind of people you need coming in to have a successful and thriving community.”

Moylan said strong communities need strong cities and strong schools. “We cannot be a successful community without both of those. I’ve spoken to the residents in my district, and the schools are why they’re here. It’s important that the schools continue to succeed and I strongly believe that the trend is not gong to continue if Prop Y does not pass.”

She also said, in Richmond Heights, for future developments, the council is doing its best to restrict TIFs — “not always, but we are doing our best.”

Moylan said she has worked with the school on multiple committees and feels  confident they’re doing their best to restrict costs the best that they can, especially with increased enrollment, and still provide a quality education.

See also, on the MRH Prop Y:

 

55 COMMENTS

  2. I see there is a city councilmen on this thread. I have yet to see an explanation or plan on what is going to be done when you reach maximum overload when it comes to enrollment and class sizes! I poised that question in hopes of getting an answer but it looks as though there isn’t one……at least for now. If the councilmen can give out a link showing a solid game plan for what is coming down the pike, that would be appreciated.

    I have to bring this following point to light:

    You know, playing on emotions and having the children bring home politics is dirty pool. I have heard about the elementary kids as well as the middle and high schoolers having arguments on this agenda with their parents and it sickens me.

    It sickens me to the point of rebuke. I know for a fact that there are some outstanding teachers and administrators in this school system. That is a fact. But I also know, as fact, that some have made it a point to “ensure” that the kids bring this subject home to the parents with crocodile tears and feelings of certain resentment if the parents vote in a negative way on Prop Y.

    Classic reverse psychology. And that is the sick part of all of this. Get a hot topic, emotion filled tax proposal started, mix with hard feelings and resentment, throw in a few arguments and discussions on why it is either good or bad decision (try that with an elementary kid not to mention a high schooler that has some unbelievable opinions already and don’t have a clue yet about adulthood) and you have the makings for a real issue that goes far beyond a tax levy and increase.

    Again, this does come down to a simple fact. If you don’t like what they (leaders and councilmen/women) are proposing, planning, voting on or zoning……vote them out! Period.

    But again, I would ask the leaders of this community to be forward thinking. As they are on several items of need and interest in this community without question. Most do a great job with some items.

    But you will reach a maximum of what you can burden the taxpayers with. And then they will just leave. And an even smaller percentage will be left holding the bag…..then what?

  3. One other point to toss out is the validity of research and becoming an informed consumer of information. Sadly, I was unable to find the article I was looking for, but the link here has much of the same points.
    **
    My contention that schools do little, it’s all family got me bounced out of a school of education. Yet . . . it seems folks looked at St. Michael and St. George, which uses the Reggio Emilia philosophy, and decided that was what we needed here. The fact that what appears to work for students whose parents can pay $30,000 or so per year for elementary school tuition might not suit the needs of students in a district where close to half the students qualify for a free lunch seems not to have been considered.
    But the issue is not family income of students in constructivist education settings, but rather constructivist education. I have a college classmate who is a mathematics professor at Bradley; he laments that current trends in education produce too few American students who can major in math (were it not for foreign students his department would be gone).
    *****
    To be clear: I am not seeking to deny students in the community a first-rate education; rather, I am saying what worked in the past works today and will work tomorrow. Some popular trends seem to do little other than keep teachers employed.
    *****
    A mathemeticians critique of constructivist education:

    http://granitegrok.com/blog/2009/06/the_problems_with_constructivism
    *****
    A link on validity of research:

    http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2014/april-14/teach-your-students-to-be-better-consumers.html/comment-page-1

    • I appreciate your willingness to research. I am not sure I follow your first sentence, getting “bounced”, and I am only trying to follow your line of thinking. I ask you again, have you been in the classrooms to observe the teaching methods. I have seen the Algebra II teacher do an amazing job with a mix of new methods re: presentation and clarification. The Geometry teacher is incredible; she is approachable but has high expectations for her class. The AP History teacher’s criteria for essay writing is presenting that very research you referred to in your second link – not just opinion or what can be found on Facebook. The English teachers encourage interpretation of literature but also emphasize the need to back up their thesis statements and arguments with text. I could go on and on, but I don’t believe it is necessary. I have taught for 31 years with SSD, and I have seen it all. You are incorrect when you say that the SSD services would not be impacted by larger class sizes, lack of space to address student needs, etc.. Trust me, I see that in a neighboring school district of high standing where collaborative classes struggle to meet the learning needs of all students. I can leave it with this: while some aspects of childhood and adolescence and learning may be the same as 50 years ago, many of the demands on those kids has changed drastically. MRH is constantly striving to meet the needs of the entire spectrum of students’ ability level. I know that teachers are expected to always evaluate their effectiveness; nobody is employed for the mere sake of a popular trend. If nothing else I hope this election provides the community with an accurate picture of what teachers, students and administrators are doing and doing well.

  4. My wife and I, like many others, chose to buy our home in Maplewood three years ago, and the primary reason was the school district. Our daughters, now 7 and 4, are thriving in the ECC. We strongly believe that Prop Y must pass in order for the district to continue this astounding turnaround and maintain its excellence. We have already discussed our options should Prop Y not pass, and it is very likely that we’d be calling our realtor the next day to discuss options and get out before the inevitable decline in educational quality (and home values) that would come. Even if you don’t care about our kids, you should care about what’s going to happen to your home value if the school’s progress is stopped.

  5. Feeling the love here tonight.

    Everyone is entitled to their own opinions; no one is entitled to their own facts.

    The Rockwood district spends $3,894.51 per student per year less than MRH. Are they contemplating dropping sports, arts, etc? (Hint: That’s a yes or no question)

    The Parkway district spends $2,020.04 per student per year less than MRH. Again, are they dropping sports or arts?

    The average school district in Missouri spends $3,938 per student per year less than MRH, and manages to afford sports teams, arts and extracurricular activities. Are there unique circumstances that mean MRH needs more than the average, more than Rockwood and more than Parkway? If so, let’s hear them.

    Perhaps MRH administrators (of which there are quite a few and who are very well compensated) need to ask their counterparts at Parkway or Rockwood how on earth they do it. But then again, Math has never been one of the districts strengths, as was shown by the 2007 Valedictorian Affair.

    Also, I have considerable feelings for those with disabilities–but much of their programming is paid for by the Special School District, whether it occurs in a homebound setting, at an SSD school, or in a partner district such as MRH. Those SSD teachers, assistants and aides will still be there no matter what happens on Prop y.

    Here is a list of logical fallacies folks may want to check out to improve their own arguments, as well as to weigh arguments for and against Prop Y. Numbers 51 (name calling) and 70 (scare tactics) seem to be very popular.

    http://utminers.utep.edu/omwilliamson/ENGL1311/fallacies.htm

    Anyway, I’ll be voting one way or the other on Tuesday.

    • Charles Hardy,
      The SSD teachers may still be there but there won’t be a classroom space for them. When was the last time you spent any significant amount of time in any of the buildings?

      • With the thousands of dollars per student MRH gets above other districts, I am sure they can figure something out. We all have challenges in life, but most of us can’t just raise taxes to try and fix things. Plus Y isn’t about buildings it is about programs, so your argument is not even to the point.

        I say lets be leaders and drop sports. It has not made sense to me for a long time why the taxpayers pay for kids recreation.

    • Surely you can’t compare a small district with several hundred students to the MASSIVE districts with thousands of students? Because the BIG expenses (capital expenses, salaries, infrastructure, etc) are easily absorbed and spread across thousands of students. Which is why those huge districts can boast so much less spent per student. It’s just economy of scale. Those are base expenses that do not go away when you have less students. Are you seriously trying to make it seem like MRH students are each getting $3K more in “education and benefits” than these other schools? That is probably the stupidest and most illogical argument out there.

  6. Our schools are the pillar of our community. We stay strong when our cities and our schools work together. Our school district has worked tirelessly to offer the best chance for our children to learn and prepared for their future. Every child in our care deserves the best opportunity to succeed.

    Remember, unlike city government, school districts can NOT levy “retail sales” tax or a “utility” taxes to raise the necessary funds for a successful schools.

  7. I am immensely disappointed to read that Mr. Cerven failed to be part of the discussion before taking a contrarian position. It smacks of everything that is wrong with politics these days.

  8. Those of you that point to lower taxes in neighboring districts. Per Zillow.com the average house value
    Clayton: $567,000
    Webster Groves: $259,000
    Kirkwood: $258,000
    Brentwood: $187,000
    Maplewood: $143,000
    Factor in Maplewood’s higher rental/lower ownership rate and you have an even deeper hole to dig out of.

  9. I have to throw out a few questions. I was ignorant not going to the meetings to have a better understanding of this proposal as well as when the TIFs came up.

    What is the amount of the TIFs for the developer(s) for Walmart, SAMs Club, Lowes, the new Menards and the other businesses within that Urban Developement area? Can a councilmember answer this? And please don’t explain that TIFs do not cost the citizens and tax payers in MRH area a dime….because they do….in the long run. I’ve done the research on this and it shows that

    Could the MRH school district be in a better position if it did not pass the bond measure for a new Fire Station? How much was that upcoming project to build? Probably enough to keep the Arts and Athletic programs going for some time.

    Take Florissant district for example. They shot the TIF down and Walmart STILL came in salivating. Albeit with a TDD (Transportstion Development District) that added a one penny sales tax to improve city streets to access a business. Nice end around move. And how about Florissant Mayor Schneider when speaking about the NO on the Walmart TIF…”If we can do it here then maybe it sends a message that it can happen in other communities as well”…….a message that MRH council members obviously didn’t get!

    All of those “Big” chain stores up on Hanley, especially Walmart, were more than likely salivating at the opportunity to get a store here as they are the first line stores from the inner city areas.

    Show-Me Institute policy analyst David Stokes said it best. “You don’t need TIFs to attract retail development. With the right project and locations, retail development will still come”. I would have imagined that the council members would have been forward thinking on this and told them No. Unless the TIFs were needed to fund the sale of the bonds for the Immenent Domain for the homes that were around that area. Not sure.

    Burdening the tax payers because of Crony Capitalism is rearing its ugly head once again. And yes I said that. I have seen it all too often.

    Rolling out the red carpet to attract new and sustainable business and tax base is great, but don’t do it at the cost and expense of the taxpayers…..who, by the way, vote!

    My conscious tells me to vote for Prop Y just for the sake of the kids as the programs will supposedly suffer, but the “Leaders” of this community need to be held accountable for this and most likely future issues that will arise.

    Thanks

    • I can speak to Walmart, Sam’s and Lowe’s:

      The only TIF we have is the Lowe’s property (which I think is about half way through it’s payment life) and Deer Creek (where there is also a CID). There is no TIF on Walmart / Sam’s, however, they are included the Hanley Corridor TDD which includes business from multiple communities. The Shop-n-Save TIF, I believe, was paid off about 4-5 years early. And I agree, TIF should not be on the table as it puts municipalities competing against one another for sales tax revenue at the expense of other taxing entities that rely upon personal property taxes, not to mention that developers need to be on the hook, not the taxpayers. TIF locks the taxes paid on property at the time of the TIF. At the end of the TIF, the property taxes are adjusted to the current values.

      As for Prop Y, yes, it is for the kids, but it is also for the community as a whole. Declines in funding from State and Federal coupled with the Hancock Amendment has crippled many school districts. Yes TIF needs to be fixed, but even more importantly, funding through State and Federal sources needs to be fixed as well. The formula for the Hancock Amendment should be revised to improve the funding mechanism from property tax. Perhaps the beneficiary (St. Louis County) of a community with increased valuation should also help out as well.

      It’s a complex issue that won’t be worked out in the near term; if we keep the conversation and discussion moving forward and ALSO tell our local, state and federal elected officials that change is needed, then we have a good chance of changing the way this country funds its public education.

      • Shawn.

        I would direct you to my comment from Matt C. I would ask what happens next: When you reach the saturation point when you cannot get any more kids in enrollment and its bursting at the seams, then what?

        More bond referendums to access more personal home owners property to build more schools and ECC centers? Where on earth can you build these in the MRH area without taking the people’s property?

        What happens when the TIFs are done? Can you go back to the big box stores and ask them to donate to a worthwhile cause? No. That was a rhetorical question at best. And you gave Deer Creek a TIF?

        More personal property tax bases gone only to be filled with commercial business juggernauts that will someday pack up and leave in a flash like an English Gypsy caravan! Then you are faced with a Wine-n-Dine meeting with other potential businesses to help fill the holes ( and tax revenue loss) left by those big boys that leave.

        It starts with extremely conservative fiscal responsibility on all fronts. You have to have somewhat of 20/20 vision here to realize that this day was and will most likely continue to come. You cannot continue to ask the 40% of tax paying home owners to fill the gap!

      • I can speak for Richmond Heights. We currently have a TIF on the Menards property. We had several failed developments in the Hadley Township area before Menards was agreed upon. The TIF was created in 2006, but reset in 2016 for Menards. There was a TIF commission that included all taxing entities and the commission sent a positive recommendation to the city. The school district voted for the TIF because the area was so blighted that it was receiving limited property tax from those properties and it will see additional money from Menards in the form of personal property taxes. Once the TIF is complete, the school district will see a huge increase in amount of property taxes. We are also in the process of working with a developer to develop the property at Dale and Hanley and we have said no to any TIFs on that property.

        • Well there you go, Megan. Another TIF! I just can’t understand how the city and urban leaders did not see a short fall in the school system coming and then plan another TIF. How many years is the Menards TIF? 5 years, 10 years? That is an eternity when it comes to banking revenue for a school system and budgets that is already struggling!

  10. looks like the prop will raise my taxes approx $200 a year. that’s less than $20 a month. and my house value has gone up 40k in 3 years. that is a sound investment that actually has a positive outcome for the children in our community. Webster failed to pass their recent prop for school funding, and homes in Webster are cheaper than ever. it’s a no brainer folks.

    • Matt.

      Do you realize that some of the Webster home owners were facing 2 different tax increases that would have totaled around 20% increase on their total property taxes? Now they are trying to increase teacher pay with an across the board 10% increase in salaries!!! Cheaper than ever? Doubt it. You don’t realize how the housing market works cause you pay for it somewhere.

      I can see that coming to Maplewood. Because there is going to be a saturation point where you will have max enrollment at all MRH schools and pre schools and then what? Build more schools? Access, via an Immenent Domain Law, ( throw in a few more TIFs while you are at it!) more home areas for the construction of commercial business base to cover these schools and their needs and operating budgets? There you go! More bond referendums and higher taxes. It’s a vicious cycle with no end….only higher taxes.

      Maybe your home value will go up so much that you will take the money and run and buy a lot more home for the money in Webster? Certainly sounds plausible.

  11. I was born and raised in the Mrh school district. My mother aunts and unvles attended mrh as a result of the shape of the district my family thought it best to send the enitre next generation to private schools. I graduated with honors from MICDS. I would like to think i am not easily impressed with most schools because of my background. When i compared MRH with Clayton, Webster, Ladue and even Little Flower, I was beyond impressed. The very programs mrh offers along with the classroom size is part of the reason why i chose mrh. I am dissappointed that Mr. Hardy would so disrespectfully suggest thatvour children do not need an optimal learning environment like that which he preferred for his own children. Private schools tend to have smaller classroom sizes and to offer unique programs. In addition…with the steady rise in autism, adhd, add etc and in the number of children with special needs, Mr. Hardy’s approach will result any those children eith special needs no longer being able to remain i. The regular classrom whivh will be too large to give any of our children the necessary one on one time they may need. Mrh had had a steady increase in performance leaving us with above a 98% APR. WHY THEN DOES MR. HARDY SUGGEST CUTTING THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY WORKING, IN RESPONSE TO HIS ASSERTION THAT OTHER COUNTRIES ARE OUT PERFORMING US? I know we are all working too hard for too little but this increase is nothing compared to the cost for all of us if we allow the heart of our thriving
    Community to fail. It will affect our community our property values our neighborhood and eventually families with school age children may be forced to face moving (potentially at a loss), attending a school without accreditation and/or paying for private schooling. Let’s nit let someone who will be fine whichever way they vote convince us to vote against our best interest.

  12. It sounds like we need more housing for the sake of real estate taxes to fund the schools. Instead we see houses torn down like around Flora and the former Laclede Station Road. That has to stop.

    I am stretched thin financially and higher taxes mean more pressure. If I can see an increase in my income, then I wouldn’t mind the tax increase. But first, Uncle Sam has to take a portion.

  13. To Judy @ Mr. Hardy’s comment… No Judy, it isn’t privledge but instead someone who works hard, pays their taxes and plans for their children’s futures. I think what Mr. Hardy is tryong to say is that MRH svhool district is much like the 45 percent of people in this country who reap the rewards of those who follow the rules.. Eventually you will run out of those that do pay our taxes (and follow the rules) money.

      • Please enlighten me on how paying taxes and following the rules is a privledge? Enlighten me when Mr. Hardy who chose ( after all this is still America and we have choices) to send his kids to a private school at his own expense is privekedged? His taxes pay for your kids to go to school – do your taxes go to his children to go to school? You do realize that homeownership in maplewood is about 40 percent and in Richmond heights it is too hard to figure as it is broken up in several districts. Nevertheless I cannot imagine it is much higher. We all have choices Judy – what you do with them is up to you!

        • Hmmmm…seems to me the “privileged” ones are the parents getting these fine, sought after schools for their kids, but at the expense of the few. 40% home-ownership in Maplewood. Not sure about RH. Little higher maybe? Which if my math is correct, (and it is) leaves about 60% not paying for this proposal. Rent will not go up for anyone under a lease. And you can only charge so much for rent in any given area according to their home values and area. It’s still Maplewood, so… Otherwise, you risk not being able to rent out the home/apartment at all.

          I’m curious about the “privilege” remark as well from Judy… I don’t get it.

          The schools are not the only reason people are moving here. Maplewood is considered a “trendy” area now due to the downtown development. Families too. But my point is, it’s not only because of the schools that people are moving in. A young man bought the house next door to me last year. He is single and had a roommate move in. Very nice young man. This is also a portion of new people moving in. Will he stay in Maplewood if he gets married and decides on kids? I doubt it, but we’ll see.

    • Marty, I pay my taxes, keep up my house and have saved money for my son’s college education since he was four; he understands the need for good grades, a hard work ethic and meeting the criteria for college work. The people I have met in the course of attending PTO meetings, working at book fairs, attending conferences and donating to trivia nights, supporting the arts and sports program, etc.. are also hard working people. Let us leave it at that.

  14. I certainly do not expect our elected officials to give up their rights to hold or even advance their own views. It seems incongruous for people in favor of Prop Y to cry foul when a peer opposes this.

    Does MRH need more money?

    Let’s look at some numbers:
    Missouri schools on the average spend $10,313.72 per student per year.
    MRH spends about 40% more, $14,252.53 per student per year.
    Parkway ($12,232.49 per student per year) and Rockwood ($10,358.02 per student per year) are both more highly rated than MRH.
    MRH residents already pay a higher tax levy than Clayton or Ladue.
    *****
    There really isn’t good data proving smaller class sizes cause (as opposed to being associated with) better student performance. Classes a generation or two back, when public schools worked better, were larger; American students are being outperformed by countries where 50 students per class listen respectfully to the teacher (and to those who say this approach leads to students who are not creative, I say look at who U.S. patents are issued to these days. In 2013 51% of patents went to people born outside of the U.S.).

    If Prop Y does not pass and class sizes get bigger, that’s no big deal.

    Maybe it’s time to sell off the chickens, free the bees, and order food from the low bidder. (The science classes could look at the carbon footprint per tomato of 1,000 tons of tomatoes coming by train from California as opposed to Farmer Brown putting a bushel of tomatoes on his ’59 stakebed and driving to the Farmer’s Market).
    *****
    As for the increased enrollment, how much of this is from outside the district? A few years back the MRH Boys’ Basketball Team was eliminated from the playoffs by a city school that looked an awful lot like the previous year’s MRH team. Did the players move en masse to the city, or had they lived there all along?
    And for that matter, when the MRH buses let students off near the Post Office, last time I looked there seem to be an awful lot of parents waited who drove into the city. Inasmuch as City Schools spend $14,779 per student per year they must be at least as good; audit attendance and let the students who live in the city go to school there.
    In closing, I chose to send my children to private schools–which spent less per student per year than MRH. My son now works for a software company and lives in Hawaii; my daughter finished up her Master’s degree in London last year and is a teacher. For the most part, their neighborhood friends who did not go to private school are living in their parents’ basement and delivering pizzas. I am a stickler for validity, so I will not say over-priced public schools caused this, merely that there seems to be an association.

      • Charles, I am very glad your children did well in private school and have a career that is considered successful. I would like to know your daughter’s stance on education in London versus the United States. However, I do take issue with the idea that an elected official can/cannot hold their own views. The point is that the elected official in question was not a part of any joint city council discussions or attend ed any town halls, and yet he chose to put out information that was incorrect/dubious. Nobody listed in this article pretended the District has the lesser cost per pupil; however, it does seem that you glossed over the fact that the assessed valuation is lower in our district compared to other neighboring districts which compounds the need to generate revenue when people are most definitely moving in the neighborhood for schools that have made significant strides from when I moved here in 1991. I hope you have had the opportunity to attend any of the sporting events or read about the teams’ grit and perseverance, read about students who have won in science symposiums, listened to the choir perform beautifully at local churches,seen the dynamic productions by those students in Drama, listened to the Blue Devil Rhythm and Blues Band rouse audiences at The Majorette, Taste of Maplewood, and school concerts. I wonder how many students you have talked to in AP History, AP Calculus, AP English, to name just a few. Whether learned in school, I believe many of the students I know would recognize the demeaning sarcasm in your comments.

    • Congratulations on being better than the rest of us poor people and the superiority of your children. Gold star for you.

      I’d also like to hear about the vacations you take and the luxury car you drive.

      • Mark: An argument consists of using facts and logic to advance one’s position. All I see here are personal attacks, delivered against someone about whom you know nothing.
        I drive a luxurious 2007 Kia with 127,000 miles to get to work to afford to pay taxes to buy locally sourced organic meals for local students.

    • Mr. Hardy, you make some points, but one, I think, may be a little confused. You may be right about the buses near the post office, but I think you may be confusing those buses with buses for the private school on Sarah St (across from the post office) for children with autism. By the way, it is delightful seeing these children going for walks in the neighborhood.

      • I used to work for Giant Steps, so I am somewhat familiar with them. I am not talking about the buses from various districts that bring students for whom other programs were not working to Giant Steps. I am talking about kids who get off MRH buses and hop into cars that head East on Manchester.

    • I’d like to see you step into a class of 50 students and manage behavior. HAHAHA! You couldn’t do it. Sure, it looks easy but teaching is a stressful and demanding job. You can’t compare today with yesterday. Our culture has changed. One reason we moved to the district is because of the gardens, chickens and progressive programming. I love watching a community like Maplewood go from being not desirable at all to being in demand. It begins with the schools. I’d love to compete with the best and brightest. No need to live in a privileged community like Ladue or Clayton because we, down-to-earth, people from Maplewood believe in our community and support what makes us great. Your ignorance is showing…..go spend a day at MRH, attend the events, and get to know the teacher, students, and families. Be prepared to be wowed. You wouldn’t need to spend money on that fancy private school education. I believe our kids are just as deserving as kids from Clayton and Ladue.

    • Wow, Mr. Hardy, among the many uninformed comments you have made, it is very clear you know nothing about bees. You can’t “free the bees.” They live in those hives. You are talking about about evicting bees. Brilliant plan. That’ll definitely save the school district budget.

  15. Here is a link from realtor.com. The summary from the link says nothing will drag down property values quicker than a bad school district (22.2%). Other items that will decrease you property values LESS than a bad school district include: strip club, funeral home, cemetery, and shooting range.

    http://www.realtor.com/news/trends/things-that-affect-your-property-value/

    This is an investment that everyone can make in their community! It’s your choice what you want you community to be.

  16. I’d like to know when is any elected school board or Richmond Heights official going to seriously address correcting no tax revenue from the Galleria? Which is located in Richmond Heights. The Clayton, Brentwood, and Ladue? Benefit from it especially since TIF bonds have been retired.

  17. MRH neighbors opposed to Prop Y need to think very carefully about voting no instead of yes. The ongoing success of our MRH school district has attracted many new, young families who also like the vibe in our community, which is directly tied to rising home values. In fact, if Prop Y fails and our school is unable to fund the programs that have brought national attention and that have attracted these new families, they will be the first to leave our community. Then you will watch the value of your property drop. PLEASE VOTE YES ON PROP Y. Thank you 🙂

  18. Disappointing to read that David Cerven did not participate at the breakfast where Prop Y was discussed nor attended either town hall meeting. He’s an elected official and not taking the time to truly participate in the dialogue regarding this important matter but rather sharing misinformation.

  19. Thank you all for taking the time to explain the impact of the Hancock amendment on school revenues, the fact that revenue from sales does not go towards school revenues, and the fact that Maplewood City revenues have risen due to the sales taxes. It speaks volumes that Mr. Mitten, Mr. Faulkingham, and Mrs. Moylan have taken more time to dispel rumors that do not tell the truth about the need for Prop Y’s passage. Still a yes vote.

  20. Well said.
    Strong schools promote strong communities. MRH school district has done an exceptional job trying to keep costs down.
    Vote yes on Prop Y!

    • I would think you have a responsibility to attend the meetings with an objective mind. Too bad you have an agenda. Guess you don’t mind living in MapleHood. Won’t be voting with you.

    • Well said, Janice Jackson! I’m an educated consumer and a strong believer in our public schools! I will most certainly be voting “yes” on Prop Y. If you live in this community and are happy with the changes over the past decade, then I urge you to vote yes, as well. Quality costs money, always has. Let’s not cheat the children in this community out of the best that we can offer them.

    • Encourage NO votes all you want, but when sharing your opinions, please have the integrity to use the correct facts. David Cervin is either misinformed or intentionally misleading. Neither are attractive qualities in an elected official. I hope the voters remember this when he comes up for re-election.

      • 16 years ago I was living in RH and pregnant with my first child.. I was actively gathering information on other School districts and making a 5 year plan to move to a better district before my baby started school. Why? Because my husband graduated from MRH in the early 90’s and we had decided no way was our child going to go to school in this district it was a hot mess. But by the time my daughter was ready for
        Pre-Kindergarten (2006) What a Change!! She is now an MRH 4.0 Freshman, thespian and soccer player. I am so thankful we stayed.

        Please don’t let our school turn back to where it was.
        If you are a long time community member that no longer has or ever had kids in the school and you like the community you live in. Just remember without the improvement in our school A LOT of the neighbors and business you enjoy will not be here if we go back to the system we had back then.

        Please vote yes on Y

        And SHAME ON YOU MR. CREVEN it is YOUR DUTY to be INFORMED and ATTEND informational meetings before you voice an opinion !

    • I also will vote no. Is there any end in sight to these rapidly increasing property taxes? I’m glad someone is speaking up for
      the homeowners.

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