South Florida Schools Seek Renewal of Property Tax Funding
Superintendents in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are urging voters to renew school funding referendums in the November 3 election. The property taxes help pay teacher salary supplements and school safety measures, according to the descriptions of the ballot proposals.
Miami-Dade property owners pay $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value under the levy. In Broward, the amount is $100 for every $100,000 of assessed property value. Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn said the proposal would be the third renewal if approved, and emphasized that it is a continuation rather than a new tax.
Miami-Dade Superintendent Rafael Villalobos said fewer students and higher living expenses are straining the district. He argued that the referendum is needed to support teachers, saying their compensation does not match the high cost of living in Miami-Dade. Both superintendents called the funding necessary as voters consider whether to extend the taxes.
Renew School Funding to Protect Teacher Pay and Student Safety
South Florida school superintendents are asking voters to preserve funding for teacher pay and school safety by renewing education property taxes on November 3. With Miami-Dade facing declining enrollment and rising living costs, the stakes for schools and educators are clear: districts need reliable resources to support their staff and students.
The levies are already in place, and Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn said the proposal is a renewal, not a new tax. Broward property owners pay $100 per $100,000 of assessed value; in Miami-Dade, the rate is $1 per $1,000 of taxable value. Hepburn said approval would mark the third renewal in Broward.
Miami-Dade Superintendent Rafael Villalobos said the referendum is necessary, pointing to the strain of high living costs on teacher compensation. Voters now face a choice about whether to continue a funding source that supports salary supplements and safety measures. Rejecting renewal would leave those priorities without the referendum’s funding, the superintendents warned.
Voters Weigh Another Renewal of School Property Taxes
School leaders in Miami-Dade and Broward are pressing voters to renew education property taxes, but the ballot question is also about whether to keep collecting a dedicated levy from property owners. Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn described the proposal as a renewal rather than a new tax; if approved, he said, it would be the county’s third renewal.
The rates are $1 per $1,000 of taxable property value in Miami-Dade and $100 per $100,000 of assessed value in Broward. The taxes support teacher salary supplements and school safety measures. Voters will decide on November 3 whether those levies continue.
Miami-Dade Superintendent Rafael Villalobos cited declining enrollment and rising living costs as pressures on the district, and argued that teacher compensation falls short given local costs. Those concerns explain why superintendents favor renewal, but the decision belongs to voters who must weigh school funding against continuing the property-tax charges. The vote will determine whether the current funding arrangement is extended.
Reported by CBS Miami, Local 10 Miami.
