Welcome to Rockwood!
Our students, staff members and families have been excited to head back into our hallways for the first half of the 2022-2023 school year in the Rockwood School District! Rockwood is a special place for our students to learn and grow, and we are committed to maintaining a safe, focused and fun environment for everyone in our community.
Our nearly 3,500 teachers and staff members go above and beyond to ensure a quality learning experience each day for over 20,000 learners. We prioritize the physical safety and mental and social-emotional health of our students through a multi-tiered system of support. We keep our focus on our students' education through cultivating positive, respectful relationships that build a solid foundation for learning. And we always make sure to keep things fun and celebrate the many and varied successes of our students, staff and community members!
These collective efforts uphold a reputation founded on high student achievement, outstanding teachers and staff and great community support.
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.
Student 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
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 | 96.5% |
| Missouri | 89.7% |
Student Academic Achievement in Rockwood https://www.rsdmo.org/Page/671
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.
The AP Program https://ap.collegeboard.org/
ACT
Nearly 91 percent of 2022 Rockwood graduates participated in at least one administration of the ACT.
| Group | Composite Average | College Readiness Benchmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Rockwood | 23.2 | 38% |
| Missouri | 20.3 | 22% |
| United States of America | 19.8 | 22% |
The ACT in Rockwood https://www.rsdmo.org/Page/5472
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 | 60.6% | 58.3% | 56.6% | 55.2% |
| Missouri | 43.2% | 39.2% | 37.7% | 40.0% |
MAP Testing in Rockwood https://www.rsdmo.org/Page/4959
Highly Qualified Staff
- Marquette High Principal Dr. Steve Hankins was named the 2022 High School Principal of the Year by the St. Louis Association of Secondary School Principals (SASSP).
- Three Rockwood educators received a 2022 Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award, and Rockwood Teacher of the Year, Bergen Toth, was one of 34 Missouri Regional Teachers of the Year.
- Fifteen Rockwood nurses have received National Board Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN).
- Rockwood provides ongoing professional development for all of its employees. We have a comprehensive program for the development of teachers and staff at all levels.
Employment in the Rockwood School District https://www.rsdmo.org/hr
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.
For the 2022-2023 school year, Rockwood has contracted with SchoolPass to implement a new visitor management system, utilizing intuitive kiosks at our buildings that allow robust reporting about who is on our campuses, why and for how long. We have also implemented at least one intruder drill and one tabletop activity per semester at each of our buildings to enhance our already stringent school safety procedures and guidelines.
Safety and Security
Providing a warm, welcoming and safe school environment https://www.rsdmo.org/Page/558We 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.
New for the 2022-2023 school year, Rockwood features the Pathways system of alternative education support aimed at meeting the academic, social, emotional and physical needs of students. Students in need can also access on-demand behavioral and mental health teletherapy outside of a school setting through our partnership with Hazel Health.
School Report Cards
With almost 21,000 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 at https://annualreport.rsdmo.org/reportcards to browse each school's report card.
Responsible Finance
Awarded Highest Rating (AAA) by Standard and Poor's Rating Services
Awarded the Meritorious Budget Award by the Missouri Association of School Business Officials
For the 13th 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. The AAA credit rating is the highest one issued by Standard & Poor's, and Rockwood is one of only four 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 23 consecutive years and ASBO's Certificate of Excellence (COE) in financial reporting for 17 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.
Finance in Rockwood https://www.rsdmo.org/finance
Revenue and Expenditures
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Revenue
| Source | Amount |
|---|---|
| Local Property Taxes | 67% |
| State Foundation Formula | 14% |
| Other Local, State and Federal | 8% |
| State Sales Taxes | 9% |
| Desegregation Aid | 2% |
Expenditures
| Expenditure | Amount |
|---|---|
| Instruction | 70% |
| Facilities and Maintenance | 13% |
| School Support | 8% |
| Central Admin | 5% |
| Transportation | 4% |
Exceptional Community
Partners in Education
A good education requires a partner. In Rockwood, we have PIE (Partners in Education).
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.
Partners In Education https://www.rsdmo.org/pie
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 http://www.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://www.rsdmo.org/earlychildhood
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.
Rockwood Gives Back https://www.rsdmo.org/giveback