FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about the One Mill Initiative

Why do we need Elementary School Counselors?

From a counselor:

Elementary counselors have a minimum of a Master's Degree. We are DOE certified and many are licensed or are nationally certified. The counseling program directly impacts every student in an elementary school. We teach lessons to every class on how to solve problems, become better learners, keep themselves safe, prepare for middle school and learn about careers and job skills. We work with kids who need help managing their behavior, peer relationships or study skills. We counsel students whose families are going through a crisis, divorce or death. We are on the front lines in detecting and reporting child abuse. We collaborate with teachers and parents to implement academic/ behavioral interventions for struggling students and facilitate meetings to provide 504 accommodations and ESE services. These programs are required by law to meet the needs of students with disabilities. School counselors analyze data to ensure that we are identifying students at risk and help to increase attendance and achievement and decrease behavioral issues. These factors directly impact graduation rates and college readiness as students move on to middle/high school.

As a school counselor for 14 years, I know that I have helped students, teachers and parents. I cannot imagine students not receiving services so vital to helping them become contributing members in our community.

Jennifer Taylor
Elementary School Counselor
National Board Certified Teacher

Why does the district need a property tax increase?

During the 2007-08 school year, Alachua County Public Schools lost nearly $9 million in state funding, and under the new budget adopted by the Florida Legislature the district will lose at least another $5 million this year. This represents a total cut of 7% since the beginning of the 2007-08 school year. The governor has also announced an additional 4% 'holdback' for this school year, which could cost the district another $4 million in state funds, and more mid-year cuts are expected in the upcoming year and beyond.

After April 1 of 2009, the federal government will eliminate Medicaid reimbursement funding for schools, which is used locally to pay for most of our school nurses. That will mean a loss of nearly $1 million for Alachua County Public Schools. More importantly, it means that without a new source of funding, most of our schools will lose their nurse.

To balance the district's budget, the School Board has cut administrative and district-level positions and expenditures, closed an under-enrolled school, drastically reduced overtime funding and implemented many other budget reductions. It is also transferring funds originally planned for facilities into the operating budget.

Other cuts are also being made. Elementary art and music programs have been reduced, the number of media specialists in middle and high schools has been cut, and special allocations for middle and high school bands have been deferred. The pupil-teacher ratio in elective courses in the middle and high schools will be increased and the number of offerings will be reduced. Additional funding for special programs, such as magnets, is also being cut. Such programs are an integral part of the district's success, but they cannot be maintained at their current levels due to the current budget crisis.

How much money would this increase bring in, and what would the money be used for?

It's estimated that a one-mill increase would bring in about $13 million a year. That's less than the district has lost since the beginning of the 2007-08 school year, but it would allow the district to keep school nurses, maintain art, music and other elective and special programs, update classroom technology, continue to provide a full range of counseling services at the elementary level-in short, maintain those programs and services that have helped our district and our students achieve a high level of success.

The ballot language is intentionally very specific, and by law the district must spend the revenues as indicated. Under the ballot language, oversight would be provided by an independent citizens' committee.

How much would this increase cost me?

The district is seeking approval for a one mill increase in property taxes. One mill is equivalent to $1 for every $1000 of the assessed value of a property.

The median just value of a home in Alachua County is less than $150,000. For the average homeowner with a $25,000 homestead exemption, a one mill increase would cost about $125 a year, or about $10 a month.

Under state law, the increase could only be in effect for four years. After that, voters would have to approve to extend it or the increase would end.

When would this millage rate increase take effect?

If approved by voters, the one mill for schools would take effect in July of 2009. Obviously the district would not be able to budget the funds until the 2009-10 school year, which means it will have to continue to look for ways to cut costs to get through the 2008-09 school year.

Aren't property taxes in Alachua County already very high?

Under Amendment 1, which was passed in January of 2008, the average Florida homeowner will actually pay about $240 less per year in property taxes beginning in January of 2010. The proposed one-mill increase for schools would cost the average homeowner in Alachua County about $125 a year, or $10 a month.

One thing many citizens don't realize is that unlike their county or city taxes, by far the largest portion of their school taxes is actually set by the state, not the local school board. Every year the state requires each district to levy a certain property tax rate in order to get its share of state dollars. During 2008-09, about 60% of your school property tax rate was actually mandated by the Florida Legislature.

Many people also don't realize that their school property tax rate has actually gone down in Alachua County for the last ten years. Property values have increased, but that is not something the School Board controls. Even taking into account those higher property values, someone whose home's taxable value this year is about $151,000 will be paying $73 less in school taxes than they paid ten years ago.

A key reason property tax rates are higher in Alachua County than in other counties is the large percentage of property that is off the tax rolls and the overall value of the property that is taxable. Property taxes bring in significantly less money in Alachua than they do in many other Florida counties.

In fact, among five similar-sized districts, Alachua gets the smallest amount of revenue per student per mill. In St. Johns County, for example, a mill brings in $886 per student. One mill in Bay County brings in $739 per student, and in Okaloosa it raises $629 per student. In Alachua County, that same one mill brings in just $452 per student. The difference is even more dramatic when you look at districts like Monroe, which gets more than $3700 per student per mill! The statewide average is $694, 53% higher than Alachua County's figure. That puts our district at a distinct disadvantage.

What happened to the lottery money?

Voters approved the lottery based on the promise that its revenues would supplement existing education funding. In reality, revenues from the lottery have simply replaced other revenues that schools received from the state in pre-lottery years. The state has also put many limits on the use of lottery dollars. Even if districts had complete flexibility, lottery revenues are actually very small compared to the overall education budget-they represent about 1.8% of Florida's total public school operating budget.

Why is it that schools in Florida never seem to have enough money?

A number of national reports show that Florida's record for funding public schools is dismal. For example, the annual 'Quality Counts' report from Education Week grades states based on the quality of their K-12 education systems. The report is often cited by Governor Charlie Crist and other state leaders because it ranks Florida's schools among the top 15 in the nation for student performance. However, that same report gives Florida an 'F' for school spending-and that was before the current rounds of cuts. Florida was actually ranked 46th in that category. According to the Census Bureau, Florida is ranked 50th among all states in per-student funding compared to wealth.

And while Floridians are concerned about their tax bills, our per capita tax burden is actually very low-47th in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan tax research group based in Washington, D.C. Florida is one of just seven states in the nation without an income tax. As a result, the average Floridian's total tax burden is actually 20% lower than the national average, while our per capital income is 5% above the national average.

The low level of investment in schools has been the norm in Florida for years, and the trend keeps getting worse. In fact, a recent Time Magazine article referred to the "slashing of school budgets that were already among the nation's stingiest." (Time Magazine, 'Is Florida the Sunset State,' July 10, 2008)

Families and businesses have to cut down on their spending in tough economic times. Why can't schools do the same?

They do. Alachua County Public Schools has already implemented a number of cost-cutting strategies, such as those outlined above, and more are coming. However, there are limits to what school districts can cut. Many of the programs and services we provide are mandated by either the state or federal law, and such mandates are often unfunded or underfunded. For example, the state mandates that the district transport all students living more than two miles from their school, but only reimburses us for about 60% of the cost.

Even in this tight budget year, the state legislature has passed a law requiring, among other things, new end-of-year tests in addition to the FCAT. However, that requirement comes with no additional funding.

And, like families and businesses, the district is also faced with rising costs. For example, a gallon of diesel fuel cost the district $2.27 at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year. It's now up past $4 a gallon. And Alachua County Public Schools needs more than 27,000 gallons of diesel every week to run our school buses. The district has streamline routes to save mileage this year, but any savings will be offset by higher fuel costs.

Significant cuts in funding, rising costs and state and federal mandates have all led to what has become a 'perfect storm' in terms of funding for our schools.

I thought the school system was going for a sales tax increase? Wouldn't that solve the schools' financial problems?

A sales tax increase could be used only for facilities, not for operating expenses. While the district's facilities needs are certainly very extensive, the district is extremely concerned about its ability to maintain those programs and services that are essential to the educational success and the health and well-being of our students.

There is a community-based initiative involving the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce and other organizations and individuals that is considering bringing before voters a sales tax referendum to fund school facility improvements, transportation and other 'quality of life' issues. However, such a referendum will likely not be placed on the ballot until 2010. A half-cent sales tax for land conservation will appear on the November ballot, but that effort is not related to schools.

REVISED: I don't have children in the school system. Why should I have to pay for schools? REVISED

Schools have a significant impact on the entire community, not just students, parents and employees. For example:

  • There is a strong correlation between academic achievement and the crime rate. Higher academic achievement means less crime and less money spent on police, courts and jails.
  • There is also a strong correlation between academic achievement and a person's earning potential, which has a long-term impact on the community's economic well-being. Better-educated people earn higher salaries, pay more in taxes and consume more goods and services. They also contribute more money to charity and have higher rates of civic participation (voting, volunteering, etc.).
  • Quality schools and higher academic achievement also mean less public money spent on welfare and other social safety nets.
  • Quality schools are an important recruiting tool for any community trying to attract new businesses. Businesses are interested in the quality of the potential workforce and the availability of a quality school system for the children of employees. Recruiting more businesses means more jobs and a broader tax base.
  • Quality schools are also an important factor for professionals looking to relocate. Such professionals also broaden the community's tax base and mean more consumers for local goods and services.
  • Higher quality schools result in higher property values.
  • The district is the third-largest employer in Alachua County. Fewer employees means a smaller tax base and fewer consumers for local goods and services.

A strong, thriving community can't exist without strong, thriving schools. You may not have children in Alachua County Public Schools, but your future pharmacist, accountant, plumber and many of the other citizens you depend on each day are currently attending our schools, and we all have a stake in ensuring that they are getting a good education. Those children will one day become the taxpayers who help support this community, and the better-prepared they are to be productive citizens, the better quality of life we will all enjoy.

From an economic standpoint, good schools are a critical recruiting tool for any community. When businesses and individuals are looking to relocate, one of the first questions they ask is "How are the schools?" Here in Alachua County, the answer is 'very good.'

For the last three years, the district has earned an 'A' grade from the state of Florida based on the academic achievement of its students. Alachua County has the highest SAT scores in the state, and our students' scores are also far above the national averages. Our students' performance on the prestigious Advanced Placement exam is also tops in Florida. Three of Alachua County's high schools were named among the nation's best by Newsweek magazine this year. And of course, many of our students, faculty and schools earn state and national recognition for their achievements in areas ranging from academics to the arts to career education. This is the high quality of education local citizens have come to expect from Alachua County Public Schools.

High quality schools that project an image of a community that values education will help draw those businesses and professionals to Alachua County. That means more jobs, new programs and technologies, greater economic development and a higher standard of living for our citizens. An investment in schools is an investment in the future for all of us.

What does the school board do with the tax money collected?

To check out the budget for the Alachua County Public Schools, go Here.

Here is a short story from Alachua County Public Schools on the budget and the budget cuts: Here.

How has the millage rate changed over the years?

One would be surprised to know that the millage rate for the school board component of your taxes has actually dropped substantially over the last 10 years. This drop means that many Alachua County taxpayers are paying nearly the same tax now that they paid in 1995. To see this, go Here.