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In under a week, Pinellas County voters will decide whether or not to increase property taxes to help fund public schools. But if the referendum gets voted down, the tax will go away completely.
Since 2004, a small portion of homeowner’s taxes have gone to fund public schools.
A report from the 2022-23 school year says 44 million dollars went to teacher salaries, and 11 million to reading, art, and technology programs.
Beth Rawlins with Citizens for Pinellas Schools said those programs played a large role in the county receiving its first A rating from the Florida Department of Education.
“If you’re in Pinellas County, this is the last item on your ballot. And I want to make sure that people understand this is an all or nothing vote,” Rawlins told WMNF.
But Rawlins saidthat may all go away if the referendum gets voted down.
“If this referendum fails, referendum monies will cease to be collected in June of 2025. We will lose our teacher stipends, we will lose our art and music programs, our technology,” Rawlins said.
Pinellas County Schools say the tax would cost the average homeowner less than 20 dollars a month.
And Rawlins said the increase is worth it.
“Education is the best return on investment that you can possibly make in your community. If you are willing to invest some money into your K-12 education system – you will save on the back end in social services, law enforcement, you name it.” Rawlins said.
Election Day is November 5th.
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