OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. — Osceola County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve an additional property tax for local schools, a measure district leaders say would help retain teachers and preserve programs.
The vote comes as the Osceola County School District highlights its schools and goals at its annual State of Education event on Wednesday morning.
The proposed operational millage would add 1 mill for four years, or $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. That means a home with a taxable value of $200,000 would see an estimated $200 increase in annual property taxes.
According to Zillow, the average home value in Osceola is $359k, which means the average homeowner would be paying $359 if the measure passes.
The district says the additional money would support competitive employee compensation and benefits, school safety and security personnel, academic programs, arts, music, athletics and student activities.
The district recently announced cuts of more than 700 positions and nearly $16 million in school programs. District leaders say the additional revenue would help retain staff and avoid deeper reductions.
“If the operational millage doesn’t pass, it means that we’re not going to be able to afford teacher raises like all of our surrounding districts are,” Superintendent Mark Shanoff said. “We are trying to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to paying our teachers. And we’re already behind the eight ball because of how low we’re funded.”
According to the district, Osceola has the fourth-lowest average teacher salary in Central Florida, at $52,840 a year.
“I’m not exactly sure what more we can cut before people start losing services,” Shanoff said.
Opponents argue that homeowners are already carrying a heavy tax burden.
“Homeowners already face mortgages and other kinds of expenses for their homes,” said Mat Staver, chairperson of Liberty Counsel.
Staver also pointed to another measure on the ballot, Amendment 3, saying voters could see tension between proposals addressing property taxes.
“There can be a little bit of conflict between the two,” Staver said. “On the one hand, there’s the proposal to give property tax relief, yet Osceola wants to increase property tax.”
If approved, the school district’s additional tax would take effect for the 2027-28 school year and remain in place for four years.
Voters will decide the measure in the Nov. 3 general election.
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