No. This is a continuation of 1.0 million approved by the voters in November 2018.

This is a request to continue to levy 1.00 mills and include the referendum on the ballot for the upcoming November 8, 2022 general election.

A home assessed at $225,000 with a taxable value of $200,000 after the $25,000 school tax homestead exemption, costs $200 per year, which equates to $16.67 per month, or about $0.56 per day.

All funds will continue to be dedicated to expenditures as stipulated in the ballot language. These categories are unchanged from the current referendum approved by voters in 2018:

• Continue to fund approximately 750 Art, Music, PE, Choice and Career education teacher positions.
• Continue to fund over 12,000 teacher recruitment and retention supplements.
• Continue to fund a mental health professional in every school.
• Continue to fund additional school police and security initiatives.

District operated initiatives total approximately $200 million and include:

• Approximately 50% on over 12,000 teacher recruitment and retention supplements. Current referendum provides annual retention supplements based on years of experience: $1,000 with 1 to 4 yrs, $5,000 with 5 to 9 yrs, $10,000 with 10+ yrs.

Pursuant to F.S. 1011.71(9) “school operational purposes” includes charter schools.

• Per Florida law, charter schools must share in the proceeds
• Charter schools will be held to the same requirements as District-operated schools
• Charter schools may only use funds for items included in ballot language
• Charter schools are subject to the same Referendum Oversight Committee as District-operated schools

Pass-through to district-sponsored charter schools of approximately $25 million based on proportional share of 22,000 students who represent 12% of the total public school population:

• Charters will be held to the same ballot language on use of funds including fine arts teachers (art, music, PE, choice and career academy teachers), teacher recruitment and retention supplements, mental health and school safety.
• Charter schools subject to same citizens Independent Referendum Oversight Committee.

Pursuant to F.S. 1011.71(9) “school operational purposes” includes charter schools.

District schools receive half of the penny sales tax approved by voters in November, 2016 for local government infrastructure capital needs. The sales tax proceeds can only be used for school repairs, renovations, classroom technology, IT infrastructure, school buses, and support vehicles. Sales tax dollars by law cannot be used for teacher salaries or other operating costs.

Like the property levy, all expenditures of the sales tax are overseen by the Independent Sales Surtax Oversight Committee.

Every District school will receive repairs and upgrades as a result of the sales tax revenue before it expires in, or before, 2026.