Governor Ron DeSantis Lambasts School Districts for Raising Taxes

At a recent school board debate in Pinellas County, only one candidate was a hard NO on the proposed Pinellas County School Board tax increase refendum.  Candidate Danielle Marolf, a business owner of a non-profit school in Pinellas, indicated that rather than increase taxes the district should be forced to manage existing resources better.  She was joined by candidate Erica Picard, who was glad the taxpayers get to ultimately decide the issue in November.  Existing incumbent school board members Laura Hine and Eileen Long are in full support of raising taxes via the referendum, and they were joined by candidates Brad DeCorte and Katie Blaxberg in advocating for tax increases under the guise of supporting teachers.  

Governor Ron DeSantis broke from his script this afternoon in Clearwater, Florida at a press conference, lambasting school districts like Pinellas County and Hillsborough County, Florida for raising taxes in the midst of economic hardship.  

He indicated the State of Florida in the 2024/2025 budget has added $1,250,000,000 ($1.25B) in categorical funding that can only be used to increase teacher pay.  Based on the fact that Florida employs 163,500 teachers, the State is sending an additional average of around $7500 per teacher from the State to each district, to support raises for each teacher.  

In the context of school budgets, "categoricals" refers to funds that are allocated for specific purposes or programs. These funds come from state or federal sources and are designated for particular uses, such as special education, English language learners, vocational education, or other targeted initiatives. Unlike general funds, which can be used flexibly across various needs, categorical funds must be spent according to the specific guidelines and restrictions set by the funding source. This ensures that the money is used for its intended purpose and meets certain accountability standards.  What this means is that the $7500 per teacher in additional funding coming in to the district this year can ONLY be used to raise teacher pay.  

In Pinellas County, Florida, the average salary for teachers varies based on their education and experience. For the 2024-2025 school year, the starting salary for teachers with a bachelor's degree is approximately $48,765, while those with a master's degree earn around $50,945. Teachers with a doctoral degree can expect to earn about $53,265 annually​.  Now the state is proposing to increase teacher pay on average by $7500.  

In addition, DeSantis cited the fact that the districts had more income coming in from an increase in the base student allocation which can be discretionary funds that can be directed towards student pay as well.

The bottom line from Governor DeSantis is that taxpayers are frustrated with the insatiable appetite for governing boards to take more and more tax money.  Now is the time to take a stand in Hillsborough and Pinellas Counties, and vote NO against the proposed referendums that will be on your November general election ballot.