HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — A judge on Friday ordered that a Hillsborough County tax referendum designed to increase teacher pay will appear on this year's November ballot — ending a months-long back and forth between the school board and the county commission.
In April, the Hillsborough County School Board voted 5-2 to send the referendum to voters in November. Then in July, Hillsborough County commissioners voted 4-3 to block that referendum from this year's ballot, pushing the ballot initiative to 2026.
In response, the school board granted Superintendent Van Ayres the power to take legal action against county commissioners for pushing the ballot initiative back.
"Our stance is they have no right to postpone that at all. They are superseding, they are trying to take away the power of the school board," Ayres previously said.
Ayres asked a judge to take a closer look at whether commissioners acted within their rights. And on Friday, the judge ordered the Hillsborough County Commission to include the tax referendum on the upcoming November ballot.
Ayres held a news conference Saturday morning with other public education officials where he said it's important that teachers get paid more so that the district can be competitive in recruiting and retaining teachers.
He also pointed out other counties such as Pinellas, Hernando and Sarasota have this additional stream of revenue.
"What this is about today is our operating side and being able to compete and level this playing field with surrounding school districts and provide that best experience for our student," he said at the conference.
Ayres said there are about 500 classroom teacher vacancies and about 118 bus driver vacancies going into the school year. If the referendum is approved, the funds can support staff and recruit employees.
The referendum would tax property an extra dollar per thousand of its assessed value. According to the Hillsborough County Property Appraiser’s Office, the cost to a typical homeowner in Hillsborough would be $281 a year, or about 75 cents a day.
The district says it'll raise close to $200 million a year and add $6,000 to each teacher and administrator's salary. All other school employees would receive $3,000 extra per year. The school district says that money is desperately needed to retain teachers.
“We thank the judge for expediting the decision and are grateful that residents in Hillsborough County will now be allowed to vote on the millage referendum on November 5, 2024. Every child deserves the best classroom experience possible and that’s what this millage is about. We look forward to having a conversation with voters about the importance of the referendum in the months ahead,” Ayres said in a statement on Friday.