ORLANDO, Fla. – Orange County voters will decide in November whether to renew a property tax that provides funding for Orange County Public Schools.
Voters have approved the one-mill tax each time it has appeared on the ballot since 2010. The levy generates an estimated $255 million annually, according to the school district, and funds about 2,000 teaching positions.
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“It is really critical to our operations,” said Scott Howat, chief communications officer for OCPS.
The tax also helps pay for athletics, arts programs and other school operations. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value.
For a home appraised at $355,000, the tax would cost about $28 per month, according to the district. Howat said the referendum would continue the existing tax rather than increase it.
“This is not costing the taxpayers any more money,” Howat said. “It’s a continuation of what we currently have.”
The district says a failed referendum could result in significant cuts, including the loss of positions that support students.
“Ensuring that we can continue to have those positions that support our students is vitally important,” Howat said.
Some residents said they support renewing the tax, including one woman whose children have graduated from Orange County schools. She said school programs remain important to current students.
“He loved instruments. He played three instruments,” she said of her son. “He loved band, so, yeah, we need that tax for the schools.”
The referendum is the last item on the November ballot. OCPS officials are meeting with cities throughout the county to discuss the tax.