The Sarasota County School Board adopted tentative millage rates and a tentative fiscal 2025-26 budget at a special meeting July 9 at 1980 Landings Boulevard in Sarasota, voting 5-0 on both measures.
The board adopted component millage rates of 2.847 mills for required local effort, 0.748 for basic discretionary, 1.500 for capital outlay and 1.000 for voted operating referendum, for a total millage rate of 6.095 mills, and then adopted the tentative 2025-26 budget as presented.
The actions come as several public speakers urged the board to respond more urgently to expected federal funding reductions that they said will affect mental-health programs, adult education and staffing in the coming school year. Casanova Dougherty, a recent graduate of Sarasota County Schools, praised the district’s transparency and asked the board to schedule a town-hall meeting before the school year starts and to consider an updated resolution opposing the 2026 federal education budget. "I'd also like to urge you to pass an updated resolution ... opposing the 2026 fiscal year federal education budget," Dougherty said.
Community member Deb Hayes told the board she was "very concerned" about federal cuts and cited potential losses to adult education and student supports. "Parents cannot partner to be part of their children's education if they cannot read," Hayes said, urging attention to services such as GED preparation and other financial-aid–related programs she said face reductions.
Another speaker, Aliyah Knowlton, thanked the board for making budget documents public and urged more community briefings so families and staff understand how adjustments will affect services and staffing. "That transparency is vital for the community being able to ... respond and adequately understand how this will affect them," Knowlton said.
Board members who voted in favor emphasized staff work on the budget and the statewide nature of the funding shortfall. One board member thanked "Mr. Connor and the budget team" for detailed explanations and told the public that the district has tried to minimize impacts to classroom instruction and staff despite cuts. The board also announced the final public hearing for the budget will be held Sept. 16, 2025, at 5:01 p.m. at 1980 Landings Boulevard, and scheduled future work and regular sessions in August.
Discussion versus formal action: the public comments and speakers’ requests were recorded as discussion; the board’s formal actions were the unanimous votes to approve out-of-county travel (separate procedural motion), to adopt the listed millage rates and to adopt the tentative 2025-26 budget. The meeting included repeated requests from speakers for additional public engagement and for the district to prepare a local impact analysis of federal funding changes.