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Teachers, coaches and parents urge Nassau board to renew 1‑mill levy to sustain pay, arts and safety
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Summary
At a public workshop, dozens of teachers, coaches and parents urged the Nassau County School Board to place a four‑year continuation of the voter‑approved 1‑mill ad valorem operating millage on the ballot, saying it funds salaries, arts, athletics and school safety; board members requested more detailed revenue projections and ballot‑language refinements before voting on April 9.
The Nassau County School Board heard a string of public pleas to keep its voter‑approved 1‑mill operating millage in place, with teachers, principals and athletic staff warning that cuts would damage arts programs, student opportunities and staff retention.
Dr. Burns opened the workshop with an overview of the millage’s purpose, describing it as "a voter‑approved 1 mill ad valorem" that the district uses to support employee compensation, safety, athletics and the arts. He called projected revenue figures "estimates only" based on 2025 certified property values and said the draft ballot language would authorize an annual millage "up to 1 mill for 4 years." He told the board they could reduce the millage year to year if collections exceed projections.
Why it matters: The millage funds pay increases and programs the district says are key to recruiting and retaining staff and sustaining extracurricular programs. District materials cited a 2025 1‑mill estimate of about $20,200,000 and an assumed 96% collection rate (about $19.4 million), with roughly 70% of proceeds directed to employee compensation in the example presented.
Speakers at the public comment period gave personal accounts of how millage funding changed schools. "Art is not a luxury. It is not something extra we can simply remove without consequence," said Melissa Carr, a classroom teacher speaking for "5,425 elementary students" she said would be affected if arts positions were cut. Sean Bennett, an elementary music teacher, described buying class sets of percussion instruments and fielding 50 after‑school music participants because of district purchases. Ashley DeMaio Rice, an art educator who said she serves on the Florida Art Education Board, linked arts funding to student success and trauma recovery.
Other commenters described safety and athletic improvements paid for by the millage: one athletics director cited renovated fields and new training staff, and several district employees read statements from bus drivers and aides who said the extra pay made it feasible to work for the district.
Board members pressed staff for firmer revenue forecasts and asked whether ballot language could include an upper cap, a dollar target or wording to allow the board to shift allocations if taxable values change. Staff replied that ballot language is limited by space and that the resolution (a multi‑page document) would contain allocation details. Staff also noted that charter schools that open during the millage period will receive a proportional share as required by state law.
Next steps: Dr. Burns said his goal is to place the millage continuation on the board agenda for the April 9 meeting, to present the detailed resolution to the Board of County Commissioners on April 27, and to submit final ballot language to the supervisor of elections by July so the question could appear on the Nov. 3, 2026 general ballot.
The board did not take a formal vote at the workshop; members requested follow‑up information (property appraiser forecasts, clear language examples and carryforward/capital‑allocation scenarios) before deciding whether to move the measure to the April 9 agenda.
