A Study of the Fort Zumwalt, Francis Howell,

and Rockwood School Districts and The Impact
Of Rapid Growth on Those Districts

James R. Moody & Associates
August 1998

This report examines the issue of rapidly expanding residential housing in areas adjacent to established metropolitan areas. These areas are commonly referred to by urban planners as exurban areas, which are rapid growth areas adjacent to suburbs next to core metropolitan areas.

The question addressed in this analysis is whether rapid growth in housing in exurban areas generates adequate new property tax revenue to educate the children who live in the new residences. The examples utilized for this analysis are Fort Zumwalt School District, Francis Howell School District, and Rockwood School District. This issue is complex, and must be examined on a number of levels, including:

1) Expanding student populations require not only operating funds, but buildings. One issue is whether there is adequate property tax growth to fund debt service for new buildings.

2) Do the expanded commercial and residential structures in these communities generate enough property tax revenue to educate the new students?

3) How does the Missouri school foundation formula treat these school districts as student enrollments expand rapidly?