As voters in Palm Beach County prepare to vote in the Nov. 8 General Election, they'll see a question on the back of their ballot about a referendum for school safety, teachers and operational needs. The school district is requesting millions of dollars to fund those programs.
WLRN's Wilkine Brutus explains.
What does this referendum mean for Palm Beach County public schools?
In 2018, the School District of Palm Beach County received additional funding after voters approved a tax increase to the education tax, which is part of their property taxes. That funding is due to expire in 2023.
And so earlier this year, school board members voted unanimously to add a referendum on this year’s November ballot to continue that tax. If approved, millions of dollars could fund teacher salaries and retention, strengthen school security, improve mental health services, art and music education, and other much-needed programs.
Why was this tax originally introduced?
In 2018, that referendum was a tax increase because, during that year, the state passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, which required that all public schools have an armed guard. The school district needed a way to fund this new mandate along with other programs.
How much would this cost residents and how much money could it raise for schools in PBC?
Homeowners in Palm Beach County would keep paying $1 dollar for every $1,000 dollars of their home’s assessed value. And, according to the school board, that could raise more than $200 million dollars to fund these much needed programs and salaries. All of that money is overseen by an independent committee of local citizens. And so funding would begin July 1, 2023 and automatically expire in the summer of 2027.
What happens if a majority of voters decide not to approve this property tax extension that would fund public schools?
Like everywhere else, inflation is affecting the cost of educating students and it's certainly affecting public school finances. If voters decide not to pass this property tax referendum, that could mean cuts to some school programs and cuts to the district's operating budget.
