Broward voters to decide on $358 million school funding referendum

Voters in Broward County, Florida, will decide on Nov. 3 whether to renew a one-mill property tax for public schools. It appears on the general election ballot as School Board Question 1. The measure is called the Secure the Next Generation Referendum, and the article says it would raise roughly $358 million a year. The district says that money pays for teacher and staff pay supplements, school safety personnel and mental health services.

The renewal would continue the levy that voters approved in 2022, which is due to expire. It would run for four school years starting in 2027-28, from Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2030. The article stresses that this is not a new tax or a rate increase. According to the district, about $173 million a year goes to compensation supplements, and the money also supports more than 390 safety personnel and more than 224 mental health professionals. If voters reject the renewal, the district would lose about $358 million annually. About $283 million would go to district-run schools and $75 million to charter schools.

For an average homeowner with a taxable value of $417,877, the cost would be about $418 a year. For an average condominium owner with a taxable value of about $230,002, it would be about $230 a year. Actual bills depend on each property's taxable value. The school board would keep control of how the money is spent through its budget process, and it has adopted a rule barring use of the funds for top administrator pay going forward.