Another Successful Night for Public School Referenda

Floridians once again displayed the gigantic disconnect between their overwhelming support for their local public schools and their continued support for candidates who pass legislation which defunds, dismantles and advances the privatization of Florida’s public school system.    

After passing 21/21 School Board referenda in 2018, Florida’s School Boards were, once again, very successful in passing their local school referenda, demonstrating just how much local communities support their public schools.

On Tuesday, school boards passed 9 out of 10 referenda:

• Alachua – Renew 1.0 mill property tax for operating purposes.  Passed by 78.7%
• Brevard – Renew 0.5 cent sales tax for capital purposes. Passed by 68.55%
• Clay – New 0.5 cent sales tax for capital purposes. Passed by 56%.
• Duval – 0.5 cent sales tax for capital purposes. Passed by 67.3%
• Glades – 1.0 mill Flexible spending. Passed 70.4%.
• Hernando – 1.0 mill property tax increase for operating purposes, especially for teacher salaries. Passed by 62.06% (Hernando already has a 0.5 cent sales tax levy for capital passed in 2015.) 
• Leon – Referendum to establish a Children’s Services Council as a special taxing district with the power to levy up to 0.5 mills in property taxes. Passed by 65.83%
• Okaloosa – 0.5 cent sales tax for capital purposes. Passed by 55.54%
• Pinellas – Renew 0.5 mill for operating purposes, including teacher salaries. Passed by 79.9% 

Only Liberty County failed to pass their 0.5 cent sales tax levy, which failed by just 10 votes (49.73%).

Earlier in 2020, Florida’s school boards went 4 for 4:

• Monroe – Passed in March 17, 2020 Presidential Preference Primary, Renewal of 0.5 cent sales tax for capital purposes. Passed by 82.14%
• Franklin – Passed June 23, 2020 – all vote by mail. Renew 0.5 mill property tax for operating purposes.
• Collier – Passed in the August Primary Election. Revenue neutral; allows capital dollars — which fund maintenance, facilities, and debt payments among others — be voluntarily reduced to increase operating funds, or funds for personnel and staff costs. Passed by 79.3%
• Indian River – Passed in August Primary Election. Renew .5 mill for operating purposes, including teacher salaries, technology, school safety and mental health. Passed by 76.68%

Such support for public schools is not surprising. A recent report showed, across the country, 87% of the general public favored the federal government spending “whatever is necessary to ensure that all children have really good public schools.” In the 2020 NSBAC Poll, 64% of likely voters supported increasing funding for public schools and 73% agreed public funds from our public schools should NOT be diverted away from public schools to fund private, religious, and home school education. Still, Floridians continue to elect candidates who relentlessly expand programs that further defund their public schools and then absolve those same legislators of their paramount duty to fund our public schools by agreeing to raise the needed funds locally.

When will Floridians start supporting pro-public ed candidates, who could advance policies that would defend, rather than defund, their local public schools?