In 2018, the Brentwood community supported a no-tax increase bond issue for necessary renovations to the middle and high school. The Middle/High School project was the first phase in a two-part effort to provide all Brentwood students with access to safe, comfortable learning areas equipped for providing quality 21st century learning opportunities.

On January 21st, the Brentwood School Board voted to place Prop E on the April 7th, 2020 ballot. Prop E seeks voter authority to issue $29 million in bonds to upgrade elementary school facilities by completely rebuilding McGrath Elementary and renovating Mark Twain. This bond will add an additional forty-seven cents per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation. In March, the April 7th election was postponed to June 2, 2020.

The funds from phase two will be used to improve the safety, security, accessibility, and learning opportunities provided by our elementary facilities. To see exactly how Prop E would impact your taxes, please use our Property Tax Calculator.

In May 2020, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Board of Education resolved to use the funds from Prop E to incorporate the Brentwood Early Childhood Center into one of the elementary buildings. In doing so, the Board anticipates educational benefits to students while reducing the district's overall footprint from 4 sites to 3. This would allow for greater financial flexibility in the future and allow the district to react to global challenges like COVID-19. This would still provide two K-5 neighborhood elementary schools for the district while addressing the accessibility, safety, infrastructure, and learning space needs at both buildings.

The full text of their resolution is below:

May 5, 2020 Board of Education Resolution

In March, 2020, the St. Louis County Board of Elections requested and was approved to move the April 7th election to June 2nd, 2020. Therefore, Brentwood School District’s Proposition E, a $29 million bond issue, was moved to the June 2nd ballot. This delay has allowed the Board additional time to evaluate the current climate and further work with the community to determine long term strategic financial goals.

In light of the global pandemic and the current and anticipated economic impact, the Brentwood School Board believes it is even more important now to focus on how to achieve the optimum benefit to the District when funds are spent on facilities improvements. To that end, the Board is resolving to incorporate Brentwood Early Childhood Center into one of the elementary schools as part of Proposition E. This will reduce the district’s footprint and operating expenses.The board further resolves that this will be accomplished with Proposition E funds and district resources without asking for additional funding from the community in the future for this endeavor.

While the bond language cannot be adjusted, the Board of Education makes this resolution to affirm our commitment to incorporating the Early Childhood Center into one building upon the successful passage of Proposition E. This investment will allow the district to continue providing quality education for students in neighborhood schools while reducing its footprint and overhead costs in the long term.