HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — The Hillsborough County Schools Superintendent is proposing a property tax increase to go on the November ballot that would support teacher and staff pay as well as student programs.
School leaders said with thousands of students coming late to school due to a bus driver shortage and others in classrooms without a permanent teacher because of a teacher shortage, Superintendent Van Ayres proposed a plan to address the problem: a millage referendum.
The district estimates the millage would raise about $177 million to support Hillsborough’s students each year.
School leaders said more than nine out of every ten dollars generated would be dedicated to competitive pay, proposing salary supplements of:
- $6,000 each year for teachers
- $3,000 each year for support staff
- $6,000 each year for administrators
Eight percent of the dollars generated would be dedicated to academic programs.
It’s an edge Hillsborough school leaders said surrounding counties already have.
“This is one of the most important things for this school district maybe ever,” said Ayres. “We have never experienced a time to where on the operational side, we are not on a level playing field because of the additional revenue that other school districts have.”
The district said with the county’s average home value of $375,000 and appropriate homestead exemptions, the cost to an average homeowner would be $350 per year, averaging to about a dollar a day.
The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association supports the measure.
“It’s heartbreaking that we know that some of our teachers have gone to other districts or other careers, and they’re leaving our schools,” said HCTA president Rob Kriete. “We have to do something about it.”
Hillsborough County residents weighed in on what they think about the proposed property tax increase if it were to reach the ballot.
“It’s a great idea. Definitely for the teachers as well as the kids,” said Doris Dixon. “The teachers are not paid as much as they should be paid, and it’s very important that we keep good teachers.”
“They should budget it, plan for it, prioritize, so to just keep adding these extra incremental tax increases, I would probably vote against it,” said Richard Reichwald.
School board members are set to vote on April 2nd on whether to put a millage referendum on the Nov. 5 general election ballot for all voters in Hillsborough County.
