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School board approves forwarding half‑cent sales tax renewal to county for November ballot
Summary
The Santa Rosa County School Board voted unanimously May 7 to approve referendum language renewing a 10‑year half‑cent sales surtax for school capital outlay and to forward the measure to the county commission to place on the November ballot; the proposal adds a citizens oversight committee and staff said the surtax has funded major recent projects.
The Santa Rosa County School Board voted unanimously May 7 to approve language for a proposed 10‑year renewal of the district's half‑cent sales surtax for capital outlay and directed staff to forward the referendum to the Board of County Commissioners for placement on the November ballot. District staff said the surtax funds construction, renovation, technology and maintenance and that current proceeds have supported projects including Southside High School, East Bay and Wallace Lake K‑8.
Superintendent Karen Barber's designee (speaker 20) told the board the referendum text has been updated to reflect changes in state statute and now includes a new citizens oversight committee that will provide community input on projects funded by the surtax. "Once you approve the referendum as it is written, we will then hand this over to the board of county commissioners," the staff member said, adding that recent statute changes require new or renewed referenda to be placed on the general‑election ballot.
Why it matters: The half‑cent surtax is a primary local capital funding source for Santa Rosa schools and has paid for multi‑million‑dollar projects and equipment without creating debt, district staff said. The district reported it has saved more than $28 million toward current and future projects over the past 2–3 years. Under the proposed renewal, surtax receipts would continue to be restricted by statute to capital outlay projects (not raises or general operating expenses), staff said.
Board discussion focused on transparency and citizen oversight. Speaker 7 (board member) welcomed the creation of a citizens oversight committee and asked how committee members would be appointed; the staff member said appointment details will be developed as the committee is formed and that "ultimately it rests with you" the board.
The board approved the motion to forward the referendum text to the county commission by unanimous vote. The district intends that if the county approves the request, the referendum will appear on the November ballot and, if approved by voters, take effect for a 10‑year period. The district also said the current surtax sunsets in 2028, and forwarding the renewal aims to avoid a funding gap.
