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Charter-school parents urge board to restore half‑penny sales‑tax funds to charter students
Summary
Public commenters at the May 2 Manatee County School Board workshop said charter schools were promised a share of the half‑penny sales tax passed in 2016 and asked the district to correct years of unequal distribution.
Steven Zickafoos, a former assistant principal at King Middle School, and three other members of the charter‑school community told the Manatee County School Board on May 2 that charter schools have been excluded from capital outlay sales‑tax funding the speakers said voters expected to be distributed to all public school students.
Danielle Hartley, introduced herself as a teacher and parent affiliated with Rowlett Academy. She recalled that district staff solicited charter‑school communities’ votes for the 2016 half‑penny sales‑tax referendum with an assurance that charter students would receive an equitable share. "Public charter school administrators were assured that their students would receive a fair share of the funds collected from the sales tax increase because they are public schools," Hartley told the board.
Dr. Carol Scholz, who identified herself as an educator and parent of a Manatee School for the Arts student, said charter schools received a small, uneven fraction of the tax revenue in the years immediately after the referendum and that since the 2023–24 school year charter schools have received no money from the sales‑tax revenue. "The half of a percent sales tax established in 2016 and voted in by the people of Manatee County was meant to support the capital outlay for every public school serving public school students. Charter schools are public schools," Scholz said.
Michael Mears, a parent and Palmetto Charter School board member, also urged the district to act, saying the charter community supported the referendum in 2016 and now feels "betrayed" that charter students are left out of the funding.
Board Vice Chair (recorded remarks) clarified that staff will present a capital budget update and a related workshop on the topic at a scheduled May 23 meeting, and that the district's attorney, Mr. Dye, has previously opined the district is in compliance with Florida law.
Why it matters: Charter schools enroll a substantial share of the county's students, several speakers said (Dr. Scholz cited 17.6%; Hartley said ‘‘over 20%’’). The commenters asked the board to restore withheld funds and to change future allocations so charter schools receive funding on an equitable basis and in accordance with what speakers said was the voters’ intent in 2016.
Board response and next steps: Board members did not take a vote at the workshop. The chair confirmed a workshop on the sales‑tax allocation and capital budget is scheduled for May 23, when staff will present options and background material to the board.
Ending: Speakers asked the board to honor the 2016 referendum's original intent and to consider adjustments to current budget allocations; the board scheduled staff follow‑up at the May 23 workshop.
