The 2024 general election is on, and outside of candidates, voters in Hillsborough County will decide on whether to renew a Community Investment Tax, plus make a decision about a 1% millage increase that would generate a projected $177 million annually—$150 million of that would go to the district, with $27 set for privately-run charter schools, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Rob Kriete, President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, joined District 7 School Board incumbent Lynn Gray to speak in favor of the millage while former Hillsborough School Boardmember Steve Cona, and Jason Ferger, who runs the Hillsborough County School Board Accountability social media page, were on the line to speak against the proposal.
Proponents of the millage increase argue that the increase—a school tax of sorts where property owners would pay $1 for every $1,000 in taxable value—would allow Hillsborough County Schools to raise pay for its teachers, bus drivers and other support staff.
As previously reported, surrounding counties—Pasco, Pinellas, and Manatee—used funds raised via their millages to pay starting teachers as much as $57,000 a year.
Hillsborough trails in paying its teachers whose salaries start at $47,501, making the county 50th in the nation in teacher pay, according to Kriete. Gray added that there are 540 teacher vacancies at this moment.
On the second half of the show, Florida State Senator Joe Gruters—who represents parts of Manatee and Sarasota Counties—joined Dr. Jessica Spencer, Florida Director of Advocacy for Vote No on Amendment 3, to talk about the pros and cons of Florida’s proposed recreational weed amendment, which would allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption.
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