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Superintendent pitches voter referendums to fund academics, pay and safety
Summary
Superintendent Bennett told the Hardee County School Board the district could ask voters in November to approve a 1-mill property tax or a half-cent sales tax to raise multi-million-dollar annual funds for student programs, staff recruitment and safety upgrades; she said funds would be locally controlled and the board will consider a resolution May 28.
Superintendent Bennett told the Hardee County School Board on May 14 that the district is preparing to ask voters to decide between two revenue options — a 1-mill property tax or a half-cent sales tax — and outlined how either option could be used.
Bennett said a 1-mill property tax would yield an estimated $3,364,000 per year while the half-cent sales tax was projected at about $3.7 million, and that both measures would require voter approval. "You have before you the property tax, 1 mill, and the half cent sales tax, both referendums," she said, and added that the property tax can be used for operations and capital projects while the sales tax is generally limited to capital uses.
She described three priority areas for new revenue: student services and academic programs (including fine arts and curriculum adoption), recruitment and retention (competitive salaries and hard-to-fill positions), and safety enhancements such as controlled-access points. "I would commit to you to providing an annual report of funds generated and funds spent," Bennett said, promising transparency if voters approve a referendum.
Board members asked about costs and legal limits on district involvement in voter education. Counsel responded that districts cannot use district resources for campaign-style communications and that outreach spending must be done through separate fundraising mechanisms; the superintendent confirmed the board would vote on any resolution to place a referendum on the ballot at the May 28 meeting.
No final decision was made; the superintendent said she will return with a resolution on May 28 for the board to decide whether to let voters decide in November.
