Sarasota schools highlight property tax referendum ahead of general election

At Sarasota High School's Referendum Community Forum on Oct. 22, Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor said he hoped to convey that the last item on ballots in the Nov. 5 general election, is not last in importance. 

Connor said the referendum forums have not been well-attended, which the public can interpret how they choose.

However, he calls the property tax extension one of the reasons Sarasota is "a great community to be in," and said school districts without the additional revenue face significant struggles. 

"I have nightmares sometimes with the experiences I've had in districts that haven't been fortunate enough to have that supplemental revenue," he said.

If approved, the property tax extension would continue levying 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.

The revenue helps support five facets of the district that include attracting and retaining high-quality staff, elevating workforce education, ensuring safe and secure schools, enriching learning experiences and promoting student achievement. 

Connor notes this year's referendum is unique in being placed on the general election ballot due to the requirements of recent legislation.

This, he said, "changes the game" due to a broader constituency.

Funding for a variety of needs 

The 2022 referendum, under which the district is currently operating, passed through a vote of 85.8 percent, while the referendum has been passed continuously every four years since 2002.

At the forum on Oct. 22, Connor broke down the allocations of the funding.

He said the majority will go toward the recruitment and retention of teachers, with 85% of the school district's budget being allocated to personnel.

He also noted roughly 20 percent of the district's operating budget is provided by the referendum.

"If you look at it today, (Manatee County's) starting salary is higher than ours, but we're going to catch them," he said. "We've already got that built in into the two-year plan, but that comes through supplements with this revenue."

The referendum allocates funding to career and technical education programs such as Riverview High School's construction technology program and dual enrollment programs at Suncoast Technical College.

Connor said instructors in this realm are often drawn back into their field by higher salaries.

The referendum funding will contribute significantly to school safety.

Connor said it will supplement positions from school resource officers and campus security aides who can serve as "eyes and ears," to counselors who can build relationships with students and prevent issues, in addition to funding technology.

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It will serve enrichment programs like Booker High School's Visual and Performing Arts and Sarasota High School's Circus Arts magnet programs.

"Having great programs like that is essential, and that's another big part of what the referendum has supported," Connor said. 

The funding will continue to provide thirty minutes of additional instruction each school day. 

Connor noted state legislation mandates start times of no earlier than 8 a.m. for middle schools and 8:30 a.m. for high schools.

Its final pillar is supporting student achievement, which includes investing in evidence-based instructional approaches including literacy coaches and English language-learner support.

Connor said the result of it all will be "making sure that we have places that we're proud to come to and call the place where we work, or the place where we learn."