WGSD BoE Meeting 8/13/2026

The Webster Groves School District Board of Education meeting on August 13, 2026, included updates on summer construction and a presentation on the district’s finances and community feedback. Capital work discussed included Hixson classroom windows, an Avery retaining wall, doors at Roberts gym, and playground projects at Given and Edgar Road; the Given playground plan includes ADA-accessible surfacing and equipment. Staff reported delays on some work but expected most projects to be completed by the start of school. Fry had previously been approved for the playground work; no new construction contracts or vendor awards were approved at this meeting.

The board considered the district’s projected $5 million operating deficit for 2026–27 and a proposed 65-cent operating tax levy, estimated to cost the average taxpayer about $125 (the transcript does not specify the valuation basis). Administrators recommended pairing the levy with strategic expenditure reductions, including about $2 million over four years, and said the levy would support educational programs, staffing, salaries and benefits, and general operating costs. After discussion of survey and community-forum feedback, the board approved the tax levy resolution by voice vote; the presentation described a November ballot measure. Administrators also discussed plans for public information and clarified that district resources may be used to inform voters, not advocate for or against the measure.