Palm Beach County voters will soon decide whether to renew a 1 mill property tax levy that has paid for local schools since 2019. The school district says the money supports teacher pay, arts and physical education, and school safety.
Superintendent Mike Burke said the funding is vital to the district’s success. He pointed to Florida’s national ranking in education, saying the state is 46th in the nation.
The district said the levy is divided evenly among three uses. Half goes to teacher pay, 25% supports art, music, physical education and specialty programs, and the remaining 25% pays for school safety and mental health.
If the referendum fails, the district said teacher salaries could fall by an average of $8,000. About 900 jobs, including positions in art, music, physical education and specialty programs, would be the first to be cut.
Katie Judge, a teacher with 24 years of experience, said the referendum is worth about $10,000 to her. She said she might need a part-time job, such as after-school tutoring, to make up the difference, which would cut into her time in the classroom.
Jenn Petti, an art teacher with 29 years in the classroom, said the money pays for the operating budget, including supplies students need. She said the vote is a renewal rather than a tax increase, but she worried her own position at her school could be eliminated if the measure fails.
Burke also pointed to the mental health professionals placed in every school, saying prevention and de-escalation depend on them. He told voters without children in the system that today’s students will one day staff hospitals, courtrooms, police departments and classrooms.
