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Pinellas board adopts tentative 2025-26 budget and sets tentative millage at 6.293 mills
Summary
At a July 29 public hearing the Pinellas County School Board adopted a tentative $1.8 billion all-funds budget and set a tentative total millage rate of 6.293 mills; the board scheduled a final hearing for Sept. 9, 2025.
The Pinellas County School Board on July 29 adopted a tentative budget for fiscal year 2025-26 and set tentative millage rates during the first of two statutorily required public hearings.
The board adopted a tentative total millage rate of 6.293 mills by a vote of 7-0. That total includes required local effort of 3.045 mills, a discretionary local effort of 0.748 mills, a local referendum millage of 1.0 mill and a capital outlay millage of 1.5 mills. Board member Miss Blacksburg moved adoption of the total millage and Miss Peters seconded the motion; the motion passed 7-0.
Why it matters: The tentative millage and budget determine the district's revenue assumptions for the coming year and must be advertised under Florida's TRIM (truth in millage) process. District staff said the gross taxable property value for the county is estimated at about $152.3 billion and that the proposed millage would generate roughly $919,800,000 in local revenue for operations and capital projects.
Budget highlights and figures: Samantha Chastain, executive director of budget and resource allocation, said the proposed all-funds budget is approximately $1.8 billion. The general operating fund is about $1.1 billion (roughly 63% of total), and the capital outlay fund is about $395 million (about 22%). Chastain also noted local operating revenue of roughly $730 million and state revenue near $250 million. Under the example used by staff, the owner of a home with an assessed value of $400,000 would pay $2,359.88 in school taxes under the proposed millage.
Related board actions: The board also approved a motion to levy the tentative discretionary local effort millage of 0.748 mills (7-0). The board adopted the tentative 2025-26 budget as presented (7-0) and set the final public hearing for Sept. 9, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. in the Conference Hall of the School Administration Building, 301 Fourth Street SW, Largo. The board additionally authorized the superintendent to certify the millage rates and school taxable value to the property appraiser.
Next steps: Notices required by TRIM will be mailed to property owners and the board will reconvene for a final budget and millage vote at the Sept. 9 public hearing; the board cannot raise the millage above the tentative rate published at this hearing.
