Why is Rockwood charging tuition for the optional full-day kindergarten program when some other school districts do not?
Most of the school districts that do not charge tuition for full-day kindergarten receive more money from the state funding formula than Rockwood does. Currently, the state funding formula provides about $1,200 of the approximately $9,000 that Rockwood spends per pupil. Many districts receive substantially more state formula funding than Rockwood. In some of these districts, the state is actually fully funding their full-day kindergarten programs. It is not unusual for districts such as ours to charge tuition for this type of program. For example, the Parkway, Webster Groves, Mehlville and Kirkwood districts also charge tuition for full-day kindergarten.
