The Vote YES for Students Campaign celebrated the support of Hillsborough County voters for Referendum #2. The millage referendum for the Hillsborough County School District will provide funding to increase pay for Hillsborough County teachers, staff, assistant principals and principals, allowing the district to hire and retain high quality teachers by making salaries competitive with neighboring districts.
“This was a grassroots campaign from the start, and we knew that engaging students, teachers, parents, and community and business leaders across Hillsborough County was the best way to educate and gain support from a wide base of voters,” said Rob Kriete. He’s President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association. “This is all about student success. Now we know that Hillsborough County is committed to taking our schools to the next level.”
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“We need to keep and hire highly qualified teachers,” said Anna Corman, President and CEO of the Hillsborough Education Foundation, “This millage referendum will do just that. The ability to provide compensation that is competitive with neighboring districts will keep our students’ favorite teachers in our classrooms and give the next generation of leaders the tools they need for success.”
What is the millage referendum?
The millage referendum will increase property taxes by one dollar for every $1,000 in taxable value. This will contribute an estimated $177 million to the Hillsborough County School District’s operational costs. The majority of these funds will go to salary supplements for teachers, principals, bus drivers, and support professionals. This is based on a spending plan released by the district,
“Now it’s time for us to really get to work and show the voters that their confidence in Hillsborough County Schools is well placed,” added Kriete. “We have a remarkable group of educators and support staff working every day for our Hillsborough County students. We’re going to keep improving.”
