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Fort Zumwalt School District
News for you
Dr. Henry St. Pierre, Superintendent, welcomes you to a school year that is off to a strong start and shares our mission to Educate, Empower and Equip Students to Excel.
North Middle addition
Update on FZ bond issue projects
At the September Board of Education meeting, members and the community heard about projects completed so far with funds from the $125-million no-tax-levy increase bond issue voters approved in April 2022. Several projects are still in progress, including the new Transportation Center. And funds have been allocated for four more schools to replace aging HVAC systems next summer, bringing the total to 14 schools with new systems installed. The Superintendent also provided an overview of the status of the remaining bond funds.
"Regardless of the type of project, costs have dramatically risen for materials, labor and even permitting," St. Pierre says. "The conditions have changed since the original planning for Prop 4 began, well before its passage in 2022. It is evident that we have more needs than remaining funds available. This change in our landscape means reprioritizing our proposed projects according to the funds that remain. To do that, we will be asking for input from all of our stakeholder groups."
Board sets levy for Fiscal Year 2026
The Fort Zumwalt School District tax levy for 2025 was set at the September Board of Education meeting. The levy, at $4.13 per $100 of assessed valuation, is 10¢ lower than last year and $1.11 lower that it was nine years ago. In 2016 FZSD voters approved Proposition K, increasing the tax levy to $5.24 per $100 of assessed valuation. In the nine years since, the typical St. Charles County home price has increased 84 percent according to Zillow.com. In that same time, the district has lowered its operating levy 21 percent.
Changes to our quarterly print newsletter
As the latest hard copy version of this newsletter went to print, our vendor notified us that portions of our district are no longer covered by this service. We strive to connect with all of our neighbors, but printing and mailing are becoming cost prohibitive. We are searching for other services to continue to provide this quarterly update in print, but please encourage FZSD residents to Subscribe for this quarterly electronic update. Strong schools are found in strong communities. We appreciate your helping everyone stay connected to our mission to Educate, Empower and Equip Students to Excel.
Celebrations
South Middle's Krystal Deterding
named Regional Teacher of Year
FZSD's 2025 Educator of the Year is among the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s 34 Regional Teachers of the Year. Deterding, a proud Fort Zumwalt alum, teaches special education at South Middle. She was honored with nine other St. Louis Regional Teachers of the Year at a celebration in August.
Thank you partners! Bash was a big success
We couldn’t be more thrilled to have helped so many families get ready for the first day of school this year! Outside, the turnout wrapped around South High. Families spent time with first responders, playing games with our School Resource Officers. Special thanks to our community partners who made it possible for us to immunize 77 students and pass out 150 pairs of shoes and almost 800 backpacks filled with supplies:
Aetna
Compass Health Network
Grace River Church
Life Church St. Peters
O'Fallon Fire Protection District
Office Depot/Office Max
Soles four Souls
Sunrise Mission
Meadowlands Assisted Living
VG Promotions, Inc.
FZSD Elevate Academy and Resource Center
Continuous School Improvement Plan update
At the September meeting, the Board of Education heard an update on the district’s Recruitment and Retention priority in its Continuous School Improvement Plan.
Resignations by certified teachers are down 38 percent since the 2022-2023 school year.
Resignations by support staff (categories such as custodial, clerical, paraprofessionals, cooks, drivers and others) are down by 25 percent in that same time period.
The paraprofessional mentor program was highlighted as one example of the focus on culture and climate and it’s integral role in employee retention.
“At the end of the day, it’s the people in the buildings that do all of the great work that happens in the district,” Superintendent, Dr. Henry St. Pierre says. “We believe that for a successful school or a successful organization you have to have a positive culture. It makes everything else that follows come a little bit easier.”
In his regular monthly budget updates, CFO Brian Whittle has highlighted several external forces that are creating uncertainty as the district plans for the future. In addition to inflationary pressures on supplies and utilities, several other items bare watching.
In addition to the first year of implementation for the Senior Tax Credit, which was a $500,000 loss to FZSD this year, other changes to real and personal property taxes are pending. Local resources make up about 67 percent of the district’s budget. No alternative revenue sources have been proposed should real and/or personal property taxes be capped or eliminated.
The governor’s task force on education funding is scheduled to file its report at the end of this year. Changes to the foundation formula could impact FZSD revenues. State resources make up about 25 percent of the district’s budget.
Connect with our schools
Attend a game or see a show. Senior Passes will be available beginning in August. Residents older than 55 can pick-up a Senior Pass to Fort Zumwalt activities at our District Office. You will have to show ID to prove you qualify. Passes are good for many events at Fort Zumwalt high schools. Not good for Tournaments or MSHSAA postseason play.
Empower your early learner. FZSD Parents as Teachers provides families with essential resources, developmental guidance, and support for children ages birth to 5 years. Families who participate are more likely to have students who arrive at kindergarten ready to learn, both academically and socially. They even provide developmental screenings, giving families and educators insight on how to best support each individual learner. Check out go.FZSD.us/Kindergarten for more information on enrolling your student. Or, share the link to sign up for a screening.
Join us for Soup's On! Twice each year our Superintendent hosts a luncheon for residents older than 55. Our 2025-2026 events are scheduled for Oct. 23 and April 2. Register by email or call District Office at 636-240-2072, BY OCT. 8 for our upcoming event.
Support your school's community projects.
Donate to help with lunch balances or stock our weekend backpack pantry.
Visit our fz.k12.mo.us for regular updates in our LiveFeed.
Tell a friend
Fort Zumwalt School District seeks patron input regarding district facilities The district has just over $32 million in funds remaining from FZ Prop 4, a $125-million no-tax-levy-increase bond issue for capital improvements that voters approved in 2022. Please complete this short survey. Your input on our facilities will help to inform the Board of Education and district administration as they prioritize future work with remaining FZ Prop 4 funds. Thank you for your involvement in this process.
You can connect with big events for the 2025-2026 school year from any of our websites. In the Events section, use the See All Events button. Arrow through the calendar and hover over an event to add it to your calendar. Use the Subscribe To A Calendar button to sync any of our calendars with yours. All of these features are also available through the FZ App, free for Apple or Android. The 2025-2026 information is now online. Get it at a glance at go.FZSD.us/QuickCalendar.