The Alachua County School Board voted 5-0 on July 24 to approve publishing the Truth in Millage (TRIM) advertisement that begins the district’s process toward adopting a tentative budget for 2025–26.

The ad, which consultant Judy Marte presented for approval, must show the proposed millage rates and the rollback comparison required by Florida’s TRIM procedures. "The purpose of tonight's meeting is to ask the board to approve the advertisement for the budget," Marte told members. The board also heard public comments urging the district to reject a proposed health-insurance premium increase and to prioritize employee compensation.

The advertisement is a procedural step under Florida law that informs taxpayers how the proposed millage compares to the rollback rate — a calculation intended to show whether the board’s proposed tax rate would yield more revenue than the prior year after excluding new growth. Marte told the board that because property values in Alachua County rose, the district is required to advertise that its proposed revenue is higher than last year’s — even if the per-mill tax rate voters see is not higher. "This is a comparison of the millage rates last year to this year," Marte said, and she noted the ad will run Sunday in the Gainesville Sun and appear online with Main Street Daily.

Why this matters: the TRIM ad starts a timeline of statutorily required hearings that let the board adopt a tentative budget and later a final budget. Marte told the board the next steps include adopting a tentative budget on July 31 and moving toward a final budget on Sept. 9. Board members confirmed a statutorily required TRIM meeting will be scheduled for Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m. as part of that timeline.

Most important facts
- The board approved the TRIM advertisement and the superintendent’s recommendation by roll-call vote, recorded as passing 5-0. The motion to accept the superintendent's recommendation was moved by Mr. Vu and seconded by the board member identified in the transcript as Playback; the vote passed unanimously.
- Marte presented corrected millage figures and rounding adjustments on several slides and asked staff to ensure the published ad reflects the corrected numbers.
- Marte and board members explained that a higher total revenue figure in the ad reflects increased assessed property values on the tax roll, not necessarily an increased millage rate set by the district.

Discussion and public comment
Board members and the superintendent discussed how several external factors will affect the district’s revenue and costs for 2025–26, including the end of ESSER funding, the expansion of universal vouchers, ongoing recalculations under the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), rising health-insurance and retirement costs, and higher fuel and utility bills.

Public commenters pressed the board on health-insurance rates and employee compensation. Kim Cook read a statement from ACA president Carmen Ward urging a 0% increase in employee health-insurance premiums for 2026, saying the district’s self-insurance fund balance was "above $14,000,000" for 2024 and that the insurance program’s minimum required balance is $3,200,000. Cook read Ward’s plea that the district "reject a premium rate increase that would hurt employees and negatively impact the district's general fund."

Crystal Tessman, identified in the record as ACA service-unit director and instructional vice president, told the board that employees need raises and urged the board to budget for both step increases and additional raises. "Employees need raises," Tessman said, adding that many employees are considering leaving after recent cuts to hours and positions.

Health insurance committee and possible premium increase
Board members said the insurance-committee meetings produced tied votes on whether to accept a recommendation from the Bailey Group actuarial advisers, who advised a roughly 7.3% premium increase. Board members said the committee was deadlocked between proposed increases (one referenced 3.75%) and the union’s request for 0%. Superintendent Patton told the board the administration is preparing to present final insurance numbers at an early August meeting and that the district is trying to limit drawing on general-fund balances.

Budget numbers mentioned in the meeting
- Projected total sources of revenue (presented): $279,000,002.73 (as shown on the presentation slides).
- Projected general-fund expenditures (presented): approximately $300,620,005.00.
- Difference between revenue and expenditures on presentation: indicates reliance on transfers and capital-outlay funds to balance the preliminary figures.
- Insurance fund balance (as cited in public comment): "above $14,000,000" for 2024; minimum required fund balance cited as $3,200,000.

Board directions and next steps
- Staff was directed to run the TRIM advertisement (Marte said it will run in the Gainesville Sun on Sunday and online with Main Street Daily) and to deliver corrected slides and a clearer copy of page 15 to the superintendent and board members.
- The board is scheduled to consider a tentative budget on July 31 and to hold required TRIM hearings in early September (Marte and staff noted a statutorily required meeting on Sept. 9 at 5:30 p.m.).
- The administration will return with more detailed budget breakdowns and final insurance-rate recommendations at upcoming meetings.

What the board approved
The board approved publishing the TRIM advertisement for the 2025–26 tentative budget and accepted the superintendent’s recommendation to advertise the budget, enabling the district to continue required budget hearings and to operate while final figures and additional decisions (including insurance rates and any raises) are completed.

Context and background
Consultant Judy Marte reminded members this is the district’s first full operating year without ESSER federal stimulus funding and the second year affected by universal vouchers; both changes reduce state revenue to districts. She also explained that state TRIM rules require the district to present a rollback comparison and that some figures on her presentation had been corrected during the meeting.

Ending
Board members and staff said they will continue work on the tentative budget at the July 31 meeting and will bring final insurance recommendations and more detailed expenditure reductions to later meetings before a final budget adoption in September. Public commenters urged the board to avoid increasing employee-premium costs and to budget for employee raises as the process continues.