Welcome to Rockwood!
Our students, staff members and families have been excited to head back into our hallways for the first half of the 2025-2026 school year in the Rockwood School District! Rockwood is a special place for our more than 18,500 students to learn and grow, and we are committed to maintaining a safe, focused and fun environment for everyone in our community.
Supported by nearly 3,400 dedicated staff members, we utilize a multi-tiered system of support to prioritize student safety and social-emotional health. We believe that respectful relationships are the foundation of academic success, and we take pride in celebrating the achievements of our students, staff and community. We work to keep “The Rockwood Promise” at the forefront of everything we do: We Cultivate Belonging; We Empower All; We Honor Dignity; and We Embrace Innovation.
This collective dedication ensures that Rockwood continues to work hand-in-hand with our community to lead the way in student achievement and educator excellence, making Rockwood a destination school district.
“Rockwood is not only the gem of St. Louis County; I believe it’s the gem of the state of Missouri. It is a district that is known for student achievement, innovation and ensuring that the needs of all students are being addressed. We have been one of the most well-regarded school districts in this country, and we will continue to be just that by working together to ensure all students realize their full potential.”
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/administration/superintendent-of-schools
Get to know Dr. Curtis CainStudent Achievement
The Rockwood School District continues to be a state and national leader in education. Rockwood students routinely perform at high levels in the content areas of Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies on state assessment tests.
Awards
→ https://www.niche.com/k12/d/rockwood-r-vi-school-district-mo/rankings/
→ https://www.usnews.com/education/best-high-schools/search?state-urlname=missouri&district-id=104281&ranked=true/
→ https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/exam-administration-ordering-scores/scores/awards/ap-school-honor-roll/
Graduation Rate
The Rockwood graduation rate continues to be significantly above the state average. We want all students to graduate and be prepared for college, career and citizenship.
| Group | Graduation Rate |
|---|---|
| Rockwood | 96.9% |
| Missouri | 91.4% |
Student Academic Achievement in Rockwood
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/discover/the-rockwood-advantage/academic-achievement/
Advanced Placement (AP)
AP provides students the opportunity to take college-level courses while in high school. Students who participate gain college-level skills and may earn college credit while they are still in high school.
More than 72 percent of the graduating class earned a B or better through coursework from the Advanced Placement or Advanced Credit Program.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/assessment/student-testing/advanced-placement/
ACT
Nearly 91 percent of 2025 Rockwood graduates participated in at least one administration of the ACT.
The ACT defines College Readiness Benchmarks as minimum scores needed to indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in the corresponding credit-bearing college courses.
The numbers below reflect students' best ACT attempts. For information, visit our Academic Achievement page.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/discover/the-rockwood-advantage/academic-achievement
| Group | Composite Average | Students Meeting All Four Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Rockwood | 23.5 | 37% |
| Missouri | 19.9 | 20% |
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/assessment/student-testing/act
MAP
The Missouri Assessment Program (MAP) offers statewide grade-level assessments for students in the academic areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies. MAP results should be used in tandem with other data points—such as learning environment and other contextual factors—to understand student performance in relation to academic goals.
| Group | Language Arts | Math | Science | Social Studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockwood | 61.6% | 60.4% | 61.5% | 57.7% |
| Missouri | 43.7% | 42.2% | 39.5% | 40.6% |
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/assessment/student-testing/map
Highly Qualified Staff
- Rockwood South Middle physical education teacher Joe Jackson was named the Missouri Society of Health and Physical Educators (MOSHAPE) state Middle School Teacher of the Year for 2025.
- Three Rockwood educators received a 2025 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award.
- Blevins Elementary nurse Bailey Fairfax has received National Board Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN).
- Lafayette High band director Brad Balog earned the 2026 Missouri Music Educators Association (MMEA) Dr. Wynne J. Harrell Outstanding Music Educator Award.
Learn More About our Outstanding Rockwood Staff Members
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/discover/the-rockwood-advantage/effective-educators
Safe and Caring Schools
The health and safety of our students, staff members and our entire community will always be a top priority in Rockwood. To help ensure the safety and security of our school communities, we recognize the importance of continually collaborating with emergency management officials to ensure best practices are implemented for school safety; reviewing and evaluating the district’s comprehensive safety plan; and providing professional learning on safety for staff at all levels. This includes districtwide options-based response so that staff members are prepared to lockdown, barricade and evacuate students to a safe location outside the school building during an intruder alert.
The Rockwood School District continues to prioritize annual safety projects through Proposition 3 funds. This includes all exterior doors being connected to a door monitoring system with keypad entries and exterior security camera upgrades by the Technology Department to follow after the door access controls projects are completed. Every exterior door that will be updated with the monitoring system will receive upgraded surveillance systems as well. Rockwood is also in the midst of an independent, districtwide safety and security assessment, with recommendations to be evaluated and implemented in the future.
→ https://prop3.rsdmo.org
Safety and Security
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/safety-and-security
Providing a warm, welcoming and safe school environmentEffective Communication
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/communications
Connecting the home, school and communityCharacter Education
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/safety-and-security/social-and-emotional-safety
Developing autonomy, belonging and competencyParent Involvement
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/get-involved/pto-presidents-forum
Supporting students and their achievementWe care about our students. We recognize that relationships matter. Our core values drive our work as we connect with students so they can learn, grow and reach their highest potential. Rockwood Student Services provides social-emotional support for all students.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/student-services
Our caring, trained school counselors and social workers help provide a multi-tiered system of support for our schools.
Social-Emotional Learning
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/student-services/social-and-emotional-learning
A multi-tiered system of supportSocial Workers
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/social-workers
Providing a caring environment for learningSchool Counselors
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/school-counseling
Facilitating students' academic and personal goalsWellness and Health
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/wellness-and-health
Keeping students healthy and ready to learnSchool Report Cards
With almost 19,000 students, Rockwood is the largest school district in St. Louis County. In addition, the district’s 19 elementary schools, six middle schools and four high schools collectively make up one of the highest performing school districts in the country.
Visit a Rockwood school and you'll see great things: successful students, caring employees, enthusiastic volunteers and a commitment to excellence in education. Each Rockwood school produces a school report card to highlight student achievement, enrollment and staffing.
Visit our Annual Report online to browse each school’s report card.
→ https://annualreport.rsdmo.org/reportcards
Responsible Finance
For the 16th straight year, Rockwood School District has earned a top ranking as a AAA-rated district from Standard & Poor’s. The “AAA” rating reflects organizations with exemplary financial strength and discipline in meeting all obligations.
According to Standard & Poor’s, a AAA-rated organization has an extremely strong capacity to meet its financial commitments. A “AAA” credit rating is the highest one issued by Standard & Poor’s, and Rockwood is one of only three districts in the state to earn such a high bond rating. Rockwood has also earned the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) for excellence in budget presentation by the Association of School Business Officials (ASBO) International for 25 consecutive years and the ASBO and Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) Certificate of Excellence (COE) in financial reporting for 20 straight years. Rockwood is the only school district in the state to currently hold a “AAA” rating as well as ASBO’s MBA and COE and GFOA’s COE.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/departments/finance
Revenue and Expenditures
Revenue
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Local Property Taxes | 70% |
| State Foundation Formula | 12% |
| Other Local, State and Federal | 9% |
| State Sales Taxes | 8% |
| Desegregation Aid | 1% |
Expenditures
| Expenditure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Instruction | 65% |
| Facilities and Maintenance | 21% |
| School Support | 7% |
| District Support | 4% |
| Transportation | 3% |
Exceptional Community
Partners in Education
A good education requires a partner. In Rockwood, we have Partners in Education (PIE).
PIE facilitators collaborate with volunteers willing to share their expertise or special talents with our students. This community cooperation enhances curriculum and affords our students a real-world view of what their future might look like.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/get-involved/partners-in-education
Parkway-Rockwood Community Education
Parkway-Rockwood Community Education offers a broad range of programs and services for youth and adults in several areas, including aquatics, adult education and literacy, enrichment, outdoor education, school-age care, sports and visual and performing arts.
The collaboration provides high-quality programming and services to enhance quality of life for residents.
Parkway-Rockwood Community Education
→ https://prcommunityed.org
Rockwood Early Childhood Education
The Rockwood Early Childhood Education program has a longstanding reputation for excellence in educating children from birth to kindergarten with resources such as Parents As Teachers, screenings, preschool, diagnostics and special education.
All teachers are certified by the state in Early Childhood Education and/or Early Childhood Special Education. The preschool program features a curriculum aligned with Rockwood’s high standards.
Rockwood Early Childhood Education
→ https://earlychildhood.rsdmo.org
Rockwood Gives Back
Rockwood Gives Back is a group of volunteers who support Rockwood students and families in need. Rockwood Gives Back cultivates a spirit of generosity and donations, connects families with services to strengthen our school district and develops a districtwide culture of support for our children.
Rockwood Gives Back works closely with district and school staff members to nurture a close, caring school community.
→ https://www.rsdmo.org/get-involved/rockwood-gives-back