School board approves advertisement of tentative 2025–26 budget; board and public debate health-insurance rates

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…