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Broward County Public Schools (BCPS) is presenting voters with a referendum renewal that will appear on the August 23, 2022, primary election ballot.
The new Secure the Next Generation Referendum would increase voters’ investment in education from a half-mill to one mill to continue securing funds for all public schools – and will now also include charter schools – to:
- Recruit and retain high-quality teachers and eligible staff by increasing compensation supplements
- Maintain and enhance school resource officers and school safety staff
- Maintain and enhance essential programs, such as mental health services
Why does BCPS need to renew the referendum and increase to 1 mill?
The funds from the ½ mill referendum that voters approved in 2018 are set to expire. Those funds support over 500 school safety personnel, 100 mental health professionals, and approximately $82 million in salary supplements for teachers and eligible staff, to compete with neighboring school districts.
On April 26, 2022, the School Board approved to, once again, present this referendum on the August 23, 2022, primary election ballot, with an increase to one mill, for voters to consider investing in Broward County Public Schools.
This renewal would provide BCPS with the ability to compete with neighboring school districts (Miami Dade County Public Schools, presenting an increase from the current .75 mill to one mill, and the School District of Palm Beach County Public Schools is currently at one mill), and to account for new legislation that now requires the District to share nearly 20% of these funds with charter schools.
If the current Secure The Next Generation Referendum is not renewed, funding for the following items will no longer exist.
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Due to several years of insufficient funding by the State, teacher pay is not competitive for a college-educated professional and does not allow teachers to earn a decent livelihood in Broward County compared to other areas.
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The State of Florida as part of Senate Bill 7026 requires every school to have a school safety officer, but does not provide full funding to meet the mandate. This prompted Broward County Public Schools, and districts statewide, to find funding elsewhere.
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What is a mill or millage rate? The mill or millage rate is the amount of property value used to calculate local property taxes. One mill would provide $100 for every $100,000 of assessed property value.
