Two Jupiter High School seniors who are too young to vote are campaigning for Palm Beach County voters to renew a one-mill property tax that funds the school district.
Sawyer Tinsley and Hannah Russell, both 17, are asking voters to take a pledge to go to the polls and vote yes in the upcoming election. Russell said the pledge is simple: go out, vote and vote yes.
The tax has been in place since 2019 and brings in hundreds of millions of dollars a year for the district, paying for programs and helping cover teacher salaries. The school district has said that without the tax, programs across the board would face cuts and teachers could lose $8,000 from their pay.
Russell said teachers need a livable wage to keep students motivated about entering the profession. Tinsley said the students want teachers to be able to live without constant financial strain.
Earlier this year, the pair ran a similar effort that helped win teachers a pay raise from the district. The current campaign includes an online petition, social media posts, outreach to elected officials and door-to-door visits in neighborhoods.
