Lake County School Board adopts tentative millage rates, approves $1.21 billion tentative budget and sets Sept. 8 final hearing

At a public hearing, the Lake County School Board adopted tentative millage rates and approved a tentative fiscal year 2025–26 budget of $1,212,753,804; the board also set a final budget hearing for Sept. 8, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. in the Commission Chambers of the Lake County Administration Building.

The deputy superintendent told the board the total millage to be levied exceeds the rollback rate by 4.57% and said the increase reflects required local effort adjustments tied to the Florida Educational Finance Program and other needs. The deputy superintendent recommended the board adopt Resolution 2025-05, “determining tentative millages to be levied for the fiscal year 2025–26.”

The deputy superintendent said the millage components include a required local effort (including a prior period funding adjustment) of 3.087 mills; a basic discretionary capital outlay of 0.748 mills; a capital outlay millage of 1.5 mills; and additional voted millage of 0.75 mills, producing a total levy of 6.085 mills. Those levies were projected to generate $181,642,829 for general operating, $71,046,739 for capital outlay and $35,523,370 from additional voted levies, for aggregate levy revenues of $288,212,009.38.

Following the deputy superintendent’s recommendation, Board member Mr. Mathias moved to adopt Resolution 2025-05; Mr. Dodd seconded the motion. The board opened the hearing for public comment and received none. The board approved the resolution on a 4–0 vote (Mathias: yes; Dodd: yes; Mrs. Cunningham: yes; Board Chair: yes).

The deputy superintendent then recommended adoption of Resolution 2025-06, to adopt the tentative budget for fiscal year 2025–26 in the amount of $1,212,753,804. Mr. Mathias moved to adopt the tentative budget; Mrs. Cunningham seconded. After no public comment, the board approved the tentative budget on a 4–0 vote.

The board also voted to set the final budget hearing for Monday, Sept. 8, 2025, at 5:05 p.m. at the Commission Chambers in the Lake County Administration Building. Mr. Dodd made the motion; Mr. Mathias seconded; the motion passed 4–0.

No members of the public addressed the board on the tentative millage rates or the tentative budget during the hearing.

Next steps: the board will consider final millage rates and the final budget at the Sept. 8, 2025 hearing; any final changes would be recorded in that session.