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Monroe County schools present balanced tentative budget; property values push up millage and local effort
Summary
District staff presented a tentative 2025–26 budget at a budget workshop, noting a balanced budget, a small increase in total millage, a 4.71% assessed-value rise, and key dates for taxpayer notices and the final hearing.
District staff presented the Monroe County School District's tentative 2025–26 budget at a board budget workshop, saying the budget is balanced and outlining next steps in the public process.
The presenter said trim notices will be mailed Aug. 24 and the district's final budget hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9. The presenter also described changes to the district's millage structure: required local effort (RLE) rose (reported as 1.049), discretionary millage held at 0.748, voted millage remains at 0.55 (0.50 operating and 0.05 security), and capital project millage increased from 0.50 to 0.60. The presenter gave the proposed total millage as about 2.9447 and said the rollback rate is 2.7453.
The presenter said overall assessed property values in Monroe County increased 4.71% in 2025 and offered an example: on a $500,000 home the annual property tax increase under the proposed millage would be about $82.16; a $1 million home would be about double that amount. The presenter cautioned that “each situation is different per taxpayer, based on their situation.”
On district finances, staff said the overall budget is balanced — revenues equal expenditures — and thanked the food services team for bringing that fund into balance. A previously discussed planned $4,000,000 transfer to the health insurance fund was estimated to leave the general fund balance at roughly 15.3%.
Staff also flagged federal funding uncertainties in special revenue funds (federal programs such as Title I or other federal grants) and said capital funds include a hurricane reserve of about $9,500,000 available for 2025–26. District staff attributed most 2025–26 cost increases to compensation. Safety and security spending was discussed separately: the presenter said the budget shows about $123,000 remaining in the safety and security categorical after roll-forward and noted the district pays Monroe County Sheriff's Office roughly $1,866,000 for school resource officers (SROs).
Board members asked clarifying questions about homestead caps, the district's RLE adjustments and how FEFP calculations affect instructional dollars. The presenter said the FEFP second calculation was the source for the district’s FEFP numbers and that roughly 90% of district operating revenue comes from property values and about 10% from the state.
The budget workshop is advisory and staff will bring a final budget resolution for board action at the scheduled final hearing in September.
