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Broward school tax measure headed to November ballot. Here’s what to know

By Reporting by Carla Mendez. Produced with AI assistance
The Broward County School Board will ask voters to extend a tax for safety, mental health and employee pay in November.
The Broward County School Board will ask voters to extend a tax for safety, mental health and employee pay in November. Allen Y via Unsplash

The Broward County Public School Board approved ballot language for a referendum asking voters to continue a 1-mill property tax that funds employee pay, school safety and mental health services.

If voters approve the measure on Nov. 3, the tax would be extended through Dec. 31, 2030, generating what board member Allen Zeman called “a make-or-break amount” of $375 million for the district.

FULL STORY: Broward Schools approves tax referendum for November ballot. What voters should know

After lengthy debate centered on how clearly the referendum should define which employees receive the funding, the board approved the ballot language during the March 10 school board meeting.
After lengthy debate centered on how clearly the referendum should define which employees receive the funding, the board approved the ballot language during the March 10 school board meeting. Miami Herald file photo

Here are key takeaways:

  • The current tax expires after the 2026-2027 school year. Board members say failing to renew it would create a large funding gap.
  • Under current allocation, about 75% of the funds go toward compensation supplements, 17% toward school safety and security personnel, and 8% toward student support services like mental health.
  • Board members debated whether the ballot wording was too broad and could allow funds to go to employees not directly working in schools. A substitute motion from board member Debra Hixon to limit supplements to staff who “directly impact students” failed 6-3.
  • Board member Lori Alhadeff, whose 14-year-old daughter Alyssa was killed in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in 2018, cast the sole dissenting vote on the final language. She argued school safety and mental health should be the top priority: “If your children don’t come home alive, then nothing else matters.”
  • The board is planning a workshop on Tuesday, March 24, to discuss how the referendum funds would be allocated if voters approve the measure.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.

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