[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6143085,"mediaKeyId","5536069-d95b5d02888af609cd6f67bc48edbb98","parentId",5536069,"title","Residents press board on tax impact, scholarship costs and transparency as tentative budget is approved","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",1536000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536069-d95b5d02888af609cd6f67bc48edbb98&start=1536&end=1536","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536069-d95b5d02888af609cd6f67bc48edbb98/thumbnail_1536000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6143085/Florida/Residents-press-board-on-tax-impact-scholarship-costs-and-transparency-as-tentative-budget-is-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143085-f46b2f199e30c64fe23b1b86642bb4e6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193829&Signature=hocayBYiJDGQSvYf5ENE7hmiPAgcrDmNVjOd7P6zJXEwgrH3xwpds4oA3yFKyuttUnBTf5njcAVT~WchcY95knEbnz0xT6CJHXbs1pP-hXrNGxwO~oLJkv1Y4F4ZjU~zqzEOguPU3cSwjbqsVopGdwz9bjirUJD307hdSzFIVYPsmD088DL6xgC-mxB9FEip5yRjCperBJY1yUAmx4j0UbPINcirvF0eWPiw0LWrRXA0DIU-QFmfrym53cYVgJz3HP9tVDm1XeGBpq~Vaultrd3pW2pBRN3YW~6IJeb1pZVmObIU8pJQiIrYrIrMJUkMtbVkcS8j3j7ncTM~TxY24w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Putnam School Board","date","2025-08-04T17:15:05Z","article","Residents and board members used the Putnam County School Board’s public hearing on the tentative budget to press for clearer budget detail and to raise concerns about the tax burden, the growing cost of state scholarship programs and academic performance.

Public commenters argued the advertised millage would increase local tax bills and urged the board to identify deeper cuts instead of raising property taxes. “I can’t see raising the millage rate,” said resident David Miner, who told the board the $100,000-house example used in the presentation understates local market reality and raised equity concerns about who pays property taxes.

Administrators told the board the district is reserving material funds to cover scholarship costs the state sends to private and home-school programs. “I set $6,700,000 aside for projected FES scholarships,” Jonathan Odom, the district’s chief financial officer, said, and Odom later told the board the district budgeted $8,800,000 specifically for scholarship obligations for the coming year to reflect prior-year shortfalls and a projected increase.

Several board members and residents asked for more transparency about departmental spending. Board chair and other members asked administration to post department-level budget totals on the district website ahead of the Sept. 11 final hearing so the public can review lump-sum allocations for the $126,063,857.65 general fund. Administration said it will prepare and post department-level totals but cautioned that Skyward/system timing could delay full line-item displays until after final adoption.

District staff also presented academic data during the hearing. A district data presenter identified in the meeting as Keith told the board that district-wide results improved in several metrics: he said ELA scores for grades 3–10 reached 48% of students scoring a 3 or higher (the highest since 2011) and mathematics reached 46% (the highest since 2014). He said the district improved on 10 of 12 categories used to calculate the district grade and that total points earned were the highest since the modern calculation began in 2015; he added the district’s percentage of points this year was 55%, two points below a B-range threshold (and noted the state’s thresholds change from year to year).

Board members acknowledged the tension between maintaining instructional programs and absorbing rising scholarship and debt-service costs. Several members reiterated a desire to protect instruction and student-facing services where possible and asked administration to produce department totals and clarify which dollars (for example NEFEC funds, internal service and enterprise funds) are fiscal-agent responsibilities rather than discretionary district operating funds.

No formal policy changes were made at the hearing; the board’s votes were to advertise tentative millage and budgets and to set the Sept. 11 final hearing. Administration recorded that departments had been reduced in discretionary spending from a revised ending total of $6,892,901.31 down to $3,783,311 (with $200,000 later restored) for non-salary departmental requests, and staff detailed how some large program funds (for example NEFEC and enterprise/internal service funds) are included in the published totals though they are not available for general district spending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special School Board Meeting- 1st Budget Hearing- 7-30-25","oneSentenceSummary","Public commenters criticized the millage increase and called for more transparency; staff reported a growing Florida Opportunity Scholarship cost that is pressuring the district budget and district staff highlighted modest academic gains.","taxTitle","Putnam, School Districts, Florida","taxId",15628,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143090,"Putnam County school board adopts tentative 6.865 millage, $477.7 million district budget for advertising",2747,2040000,4787000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536069-d95b5d02888af609cd6f67bc48edbb98&start=2040&end=4787","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536069-d95b5d02888af609cd6f67bc48edbb98/thumbnail_2040000.jpg","/articles/6143090/Florida/Putnam-County-school-board-adopts-tentative-6865-millage-4777-million-district-budget-for-advertising","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143090-1c1657aa47dc76b2c2d7f552ee71baca/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193829&Signature=DZ2XxyF4mkim~ZVYh6uXGzxSysdsY77I9jj1RTVEYQkFp9taLXd0jdkT2EJ0ERLZZSwBEeqVbhdgxl7FjEL450urt82L9YV4srNA24K~c-NpULQJFDJTAHj-QPtaQvtCCSTxWMTK3sUTdcWtgW0iS5MghwfppA0BrHTb8leWxlv9hLvPudt~G0mAvEgjyvUHfGNrnFqFMoxPP0qIbDkGPh20rNwSIlrbpQ9mISOWAL3wvSoEfY381As0SwNCiSuBlb8PqipuuFzNZcnhVZQvrp33tm2ZD3NtDTc~LXTDIy5TvhKZNRgOlHZOmv4mxbbsx7QKmubMM-5RRArJPbEGlA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Putnam County School Board voted unanimously to adopt a tentative total millage rate of 6.865 mills and to approve the district’s tentative budget of $477,658,546.36 for advertisement, the board said at a July public hearing. Board members set the final public hearing and final millage vote for Sept. 11, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. in the School Board Meeting Room, 200 Reed Street, Palatka.

The action matters because it sets the maximum property tax rates the district may collect for the coming fiscal year and opens the advertised budget to public review and comment before the board’s final vote. The tentative rate includes a required local effort portion, discretionary local effort, debt service tied to voted bonds, and a capital outlay millage.

Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Odom reviewed the district’s millage components and how they compare with last year. “The rollback millage rate is 5.3291,” Odom said, and he said the proposed operating millage ignoring debt is 5.289. He told the board the district’s total 2025–26 millage of 6.865 mills is 0.735 mills higher than last year’s 6.13 mills and that “the total 6.865 mills this year will bring in 98.89% of the funds generated from from last year.” Odom attributed the change to a drop in the state-set required local effort, an increase in the prior period funding adjustment, and higher debt service tied to a second bond issuance.

At the meeting the board approved the following tentative rates and budgets by roll-call vote: required local effort (3.041 mills, which includes a 0.018 prior-period adjustment); discretionary millage (0.748 mills); debt service (1.576 mills as read at the hearing); capital outlay (1.5 mills); and a tentative general fund budget of $126,063,857.65. The board approved tentative budgets for special revenue, internal service, enterprise and permanent funds and approved the district total for advertising as $477,658,546.36.

Board members and staff emphasized the statutory constraints on millage-setting. Superintendent Dr. Cernsey opened the hearing by citing “section 200.065 in chapters 1010 and 1011 in the Florida Statutes” in submitting the tentative balanced budget and proposed millage, and Odom said that voter-authorized debt millage is reported on the DR-420 debt certification submitted to the Florida Department of Revenue and that the constitutional authority for voted debt comes from the Florida Constitution as read at the hearing.

Board members asked staff to publish clearer department-level budget totals on the district website ahead of the Sept. 11 final public hearing so the public can see how the $126 million general fund is allocated among departments. Administration said it will produce department lump-sum totals as soon as systems show the allocations (administration noted some Skyward/system timing may delay full line-item display until after final adoption).

Public commenters raised concerns about the tax impact on homeowners and the district’s academic standing; the board heard several speakers during the public-comment portion before proceeding to roll-call votes on each millage and budget item.

The tentative millage and budget approvals are procedural steps required under state law to advertise rates and provide a final public hearing; they do not raise the final millage above the advertised maximum, and the board may lower rates before adoption but cannot raise them above the advertised figures.","The Putnam County School Board voted unanimously to adopt a tentative total millage rate of 6.865 mills and to approve a district-wide tentative budget of $477,658,546.36 for advertising; the board set the final public hearing for Sept. 11, 2025.","actionData","errors"]

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Residents press board on tax impact, scholarship costs and transparency as tentative budget is approved

Putnam County school board adopts tentative 6.865 millage, $477.7 million district budget for advertising