PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — At Tuesday’s Pinellas County School Boardmeeting, board members will vote on whether or not to add a millage referendum to the November 2024 ballot for voters.
The question would ask voters to double the existing school referendum from half a mil to 1 mil.
“One mil is $100 per $100,000 in taxable value,” said Beth Rawlins with Citizens for Pinellas Schools.
The one mil ad valorem tax increase would be for four years, starting on July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029.
Advocates believe that it's a fair amount to invest in schools, but those critical of it are concerned about another tax in the midst of ongoing inflation.
If the school board agrees to put this on the ballot and it’s approved by voters, it would mean someone who has a home with a taxable assessment value of $400,000 would pay $400 annually.
The money would go toward things like preserving music, art and reading classes, providing current technology and increasing teacher and support staff salaries.
“Currently, our teachers receive about a little over $6,000 a year in supplemental pay. This will allow us to increase that to about $11,000 a year, which will again make us one of the higher-paid districts in the area. It also allows us to supplement our support staff to the tune of almost $3,000 a year per staff,” said Rawlins.
Supporters of this referendum believe this particular vote is extra important this year.
That’s because the Pinellas County School District is the only one in Tampa Bay that has a half mil while most of the other surrounding districts have 1 mil.
“20 years ago, a half mil was perfect. It was exactly what we needed to fill back our programs and be competitive with teacher pay. But now all of our surrounding districts have a mil, and we only have a half, and if we don’t step up, our teachers are going to be called away to our surrounding districts,” said Rawlins.
“All of our surrounding counties also get sales tax money, and they also get impact fee money. Pinellas County gets neither of those. We’re the only one that gets one tax,” she added.
The meeting starts at 10:30 a.m.
