TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School Board will vote Tuesday on a millage referendum that would likely appear on the general election ballot in November.
For the average homeowner, the increase would cost less than a dollar a day, or between $150 to $300 per year.
What You Need To Know
- Hillsborough County School Board voting on millage referendum
- The referendum would help fund teacher and support staff pay raises in Hillsborough County
- Hillsborough schools asked voters for a millage increase two years ago, but the referendum failed by just 600 votes
- If the school board approves the referendum on Tuesday, it would head to the county commission for approval to head to the ballot
The referendum would help fund teacher and support staff pay raises in Hillsborough County, which have fallen behind in recent years as neighboring districts have increased salaries.
Hillsborough schools asked voters for a millage increase two years ago, but the referendum failed by just 600 votes.
This time, people like Nikki Rivera with Families for Strong Public Schools Tampa Bay say more voters may be willing to vote yes now that inflation has cooled.
“This time around the school district has demonstrated a high level of accountability,” Rivera said. “We’ve definitely seen a track record of success in managing money and in getting financing healthy in the district, and I think that was our community’s biggest concern previously.”
Currently, teachers in Hillsborough County make below the state average for teacher pay, and Florida ranks 48th in the country for teacher pay.
That means teachers in Florida are some of the lowest paid in the country.
If the school board approves the referendum on Tuesday, it would head to the county commission for approval to head to the ballot.
Jason Lanning
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