School Board Hikes Tax Rate, Readies Website To Track Student-Athlete GPAs

The Pattonville School Board has raised property tax rates for the 2011-12 fiscal year. The decision came at Tuesday's school boad meeting. The Pattonville School District increased the tax rate for almost all property classes due to a 6-percent decrease in property values.

An owner of a home valued at $200,000 would see an increase of about $132 as a result of the residential tax rate hike.

The new tax rate will be $4.4245 per $100 assessed valuation across all property classes. (For a tax rate comparison of each class of property, see the chart above.)

The rate is composed of the $3.9345 operating tax and the 49-cent, debt-service tax levy.

Local revenue makes up 85 percent of the district’s budget, and most of that comes from property values.

Pattonville’s new operating tax rate is 17.55 cents less than its voter-approved tax ceiling.

Site tracks student-athlete GPAs

The Pattonville School District is planning to test out a new website that will let student-athletes and their parents keep track of their grade point averages.

Winter sports athletes at can enter their course information into the CoreCourseGPA website and then use the site to make sure their grades are up to speed.

The site is also supposed to have information about what the grade requirements are to play certain sports and what GPA students need to get into some colleges.

High school activities director Bob Hebrank said the district will eventually have all student-athletes use the website if it proves successful for winter sports teams.

Hebrank said Pattonville sports coaches are known for keeping track of how their team members are doing in school.

“Our coaches’ job is to build relationships with these kids and know these kids’ ability,” Hebrank said.

He said the site should help coaches further stress the impact a low GPA might have on students’ futures.