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Pasco board unanimously approves placing salary referendum renewal on ballot
Summary
The District School Board of Pasco County voted unanimously to place a renewal of the 2022 voter-approved salary referendum on the ballot, citing reduced vacancies and a need to maintain competitive pay; the proposal would keep roughly 95% of funds for pay supplements and allow up to 5% for school safety supports.
The District School Board of Pasco County unanimously approved a resolution to place a renewal of the 2022 citizen-approved salary referendum on this year’s ballot, board members said during a lengthy presentation and discussion.
District leaders told the board the referendum supplements have helped reduce vacancies and raise starting pay. Deputy staff presented comparative slides showing teacher vacancies dropped from the high hundreds in prior years to 55 this school year and said the district’s instructional fill rate is about 96%. The district also said bus driver vacancies were recently reduced to 39. The presentation included examples showing an average classroom teacher’s total salary combining base pay and referendum supplements and stated that, on average, referendum funds represent about 12% of employee pay.
Deputy leadership detailed the proposed renewal’s structure: 95% of referendum funds would continue to support salary supplements and related recruitment and retention measures; up to 5% would be allocated for school safety personnel and related safety services. The safety portion, officials said, could fund additional school safety guards, floating safety staff, and expanded school-resource officer (SRO) capacity in partnership with the Pasco Sheriff’s Office.
Board members and presenters cited specific figures from the district’s presentation. Superintendent Dr. Legg and other board members pointed to the increase in the starting teacher salary to $50,000 for the 2024–25 year and said instructional supplements now range from $2,500 to $7,375 annually; hourly employees received increases “between a dollar and $4.10 per hour” depending on service. Supporters argued those gains improved recruitment and retention and helped student achievement.
Several board members urged voters to reauthorize the levy to keep the district competitive with neighboring counties and to sustain progress on staffing and safety. Deputy staff noted the district also maintains a citizens’ oversight committee that reviews how referendum funds are spent and reports annually to the public.
The board moved the resolution and, after discussion, approved it by voice vote. With the board’s action the referendum renewal will appear on the specified ballot this year, returning the final decision to voters.
