Florida districts big and small ask voters to boost taxes for teacher pay
As Florida school districts work to fill their teaching vacancies, improving salaries remain a key goal.
Many of them are asking voters to approve or renew local-option property taxes to generate revenue beyond what the state funding system provides. The issue has become clear in urban areas such as Tampa Bay, where Hillsborough County officials say they need a new tax to compete with its neighbors, while Pinellas County leaders are seeking to increase their 20-year-old referendum rate to match those of Pasco and Manatee counties.
Manatee’s request for a tax renewal also is on the November ballot.
It’s not just impacting the big districts, though.
Franklin and Gulf counties, which sit south of Tallahassee on the Gulf of Mexico, also are holding referendums this fall as they vie for teachers in an area where other districts have better pay. “If the matter loses, our schools will be dumpster fires. They will become literally undesirable,” Gulf superintendent Jim Norton told the Apalachicola Times.
Contract negotiations continue for teachers across the state. Collier County teachers are the latest to reach a tentative agreement, WINK reports.