School board adopts 5.753‑mill rate and $420.5 million final budget for 2025–26

The school board on Tuesday adopted final property tax rates totaling 5.753 mills and approved the district’s $420,465,513 final budget for fiscal year 2025–26. The millage resolution passed by roll call vote 4–0; the final budget resolution passed 3–1.

The millage vote put the district’s rates at required local effort 3.005 mills, basic discretionary operation 0.748 mills, capital outlay 1.5 mills and additional voter discretionary operating 0.5 mills for a combined total of 5.753 mills. Board members said the additional 0.5 mill supports teachers and technology. "We have not had any changes in our millage rates and I just want to again, thank our community for our 0.5 millage," said Doctor Jones, school board member.

The approved final budget across all funds is $420,465,513, an increase of 2.95% compared with last year’s beginning budget. Finance staff told the board the final number changed slightly from the tentative budget because late June closeout figures arrived with the final capital outlay and debt service amounts and updated pension percentages. Those adjustments, staff said, affected roughly $200,000 across several funds and produced a 0.42% variance from the tentative budget.

Mister Green, a district finance staff member who presented the budget, said adoption of the final budget keeps the district in compliance with Florida law and reporting requirements to the Florida Department of Revenue and the Florida Department of Education. "Adoption of this final budget will ensure that we are in compliance with Florida statute, the Florida Department of Revenue, and the Florida Department of Education," Green said.

Board discussion included praise for the finance team and schools’ performance. Mister Dyer, school board member, highlighted the district’s fiscal results and student outcomes while noting pressures from state-funded programs: "The state funds that we get ... only 5,800,000.0 is left for our school district," he said, describing how charter funding and scholarship programs reduce the district’s available state dollars. Doctor Jones and other board members thanked finance staff for working late to finalize numbers.

One board member, Miss Rosario, cast the lone "no" vote on the final budget. Rosario said she was grateful to staff but does not feel sufficiently included in the budget-prioritization process and therefore could not support adoption: "I do not feel a part of that process anymore ... I just won't be able to adopt the budget for this reason. Hope you all understand that." The board kept the record of that dissent in the roll call on the final budget resolution, which passed 3–1.

The board also approved the annual finance report dated June 30, 2025, and final budget amendments for fiscal year 2024–25 as part of the final budget resolution.

The board’s actions complete the advertised public hearings on the proposed millage and proposed final budget. Staff said additional work remains on the annual financial report and required filings with state agencies.

Details from the meeting record: the board recessed for public hearings on both the millage and the budget; no public speakers came forward on either hearing. The millage resolution carried by roll call with Miss Rosario, Doctor Jones, Missus Barenboer and Mister Dyer voting yes (Doctor Posca was absent). The final budget resolution passed 3–1 (Miss Rosario voted no; Posca absent).