HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — At Tuesday’s Hillsborough County School Board meeting, school board members approved adding a millage referendum on the November 2024 ballot for voters.
The one mil ad valorem tax increase would be for four years, and it would cost the average homeowner about $281 annually.
The school district estimates the millage would raise about $177 million to support Hillsborough’s students each year.
That money would be used to increase pay for teachers and staff as well as expand academic programs.
The district’s plan for that extra funding includes a $6,000 supplement for teachers and a $3,000 supplement for support staff.
Supporters of the millage referendum in Hillsborough County said this is part of an effort to recruit and retain teachers.
“We can’t let these good teachers and these good employees leave,” said Rob Kriete, President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association at the Hillsborough County School Board meeting on March 19.
At last check, the Hillsborough County School District still has more than 400 teacher vacancies, meaning many students still don’t have a permanent teacher.
"We have a lot of vacancies in Hillsborough County with teachers. There's over 400 vacant teacher positions. Currently, we have 200 vacant bus driver positions and that has a huge impact on students and that's really why this referendum is so important because it impacts students directly," said Anna Corman, Interim CEO for the Hillsborough Education Foundation.
Hillsborough is losing teachers to surrounding districts that pay at least $10,000 more a year.
The average starting salary is $47,501 for a teacher in Hillsborough County.
“I got a call from a kindergarten teacher who is leaving our district to go to Sarasota. She was crying on the phone. She wanted me to tell her why she should stay here. And I gave her lots of reasons. The promise of the work that we’re doing together, the collaboration, the things that are happening. I’ve always believed that we are the most innovative and creative district in the state and that we will continue to be. That’s not enough. She needs dollars, and she needs them now, is what she says, so she’s leaving her kindergarten kids,” said Kriete.
ABC Action News asked people who live in Hillsborough County how they'd feel about a referendum on the ballot.
“It’s too high already as it is. My taxes went from, not last year, but the year before was like less than $1,000. This year? $1,600," said Maria Griffiths, who opposes the proposal.
“If that helps by increasing their pay, incentivize coming to the school district, I think if they see that they’re going to get competitive wages that other school districts are giving, then that’s a good thing," said Heidi Wert, who supports the proposal.
The board voted 5 to 2 to add the millage increase on the ballot for the November 5th election.
In 2018, voters rejected a similar referendum. It was defeated by just under 600 votes.
