Sarasota County Schools millage referendum is top performer in state

The millage referendum helping fund to Sarasota County's school district passed by the widest margin in the state of Florida during the Nov. 5 general election, with 84.06% of the public voting in favor of the measure.

"Congratulations to Sarasota County," said Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor during a Nov. 6 school board meeting. "You really have demonstrated that education is important, and you recognize that through your commitment to to vote on the millage, and so let's just give the community a round of applause for an 84 percent."

Connor has said the referendum is responsible for providing roughly 20% of the school district's operating budget.

It allows the district to continue to levy a 1 mill per year property tax, equivalent to $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, from 2026 to 2030, over which time its total projected revenue is $356 million.

Staff say the revenue is crucial for helping fund aspects of the district, which are categorized as attracting and retaining high-quality staff, elevating workforce education, ensuring safe and secure schools, enriching learning experiences and promoting student achievement.

"We have some of the highest averages, I believe the highest average in the state, of teacher salaries, and that is only due to the fact that we have the supplemental resource, and that makes sure that we continue to have the best teachers and the best staff," Connor also said during the meeting.