Why I Will Be Voting NO in November on the Property Tax Increase for the School District

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On November 6th, 2018 registered Florida voters will be going the polls to vote in the midterm elections. On the ballot for Palm Beach County (PBC) residents will be a vote to raise property taxes to provide more money for teacher’s salaries and safety in the county’s public schools. The money is intended to subsidize the mandate set forth in the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, that includes but is not limited to paid school resource officers. On Wednesday July 18th, by a vote of 7-0, the PBC School Board members agreed to place a proposed tax hike on the ballot that will raise property taxes on Palm Beach County residents by an estimated $150 million a year for four years according to the Palm Beach Post. The proposal would add $1 to every $1000.00 of property value if passed on the November ballot. This will be the second time in two years the PBC school board has asked voters to raise taxes to finance the county’s public schools. This decision was the result of our state lawmaker’s decision to lower school property tax rates for the past four years. On November 9, 2016, 57% of Palm Beach County voters approved raising the sales tax rate from 6 to 7 percent. This resulted in a 16.7 % sales tax increase of which the school district netted half.

As a tax-paying resident of PBC I knew it was my duty to familiarize myself with the relevant data and facts about how our property tax dollars are being spent and to analyze the question, “does the passing of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act justify raising our property taxes.”

I. The FY18 School District of Palm Beach County Proposed Budget

The proposed budget for the School District of Palm Beach County and millage for tax year 2018 was $2,934,318,538 for all funds.

II. The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act
When state Legislatures passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, they allotted $99 million in state dollars for schools that applied for it. $97.5 million would go to fund a school resource officer at every school. Each of the 67 districts in Florida would get $1.4 million. The average cost for an officer’s salary and benefits is $100,000 per officer. Palm Beach County School District is adding 75 additional officers and is getting $5.7 million to cover the cost of the hires. PBC has close to $40 million from the 2016 sale tax referendum which can be used to cover the bulk of the expenses.
See State to Issue Funds to Harden Schools

III. Overall Revenues/Dollars per Student
According to two articles by Brian Mudd published on June 6, 2018, I learned the Palm Beach County school district received $447 million over the last year from the state and $629 million over the past two years. Compare that to Broward County which received $87 million over the past year and $152 million over the past two years. Miami-Dade County received $87 million over the past year and $144 million over the past two years. Palm Beach County’s revenue was 72.9% higher than that of Broward County and Miami-Dade County. Palm Beach County spends $15,420 per student compared to Broward County which spends $8,928 per student and Miami-Dade County which spends $9,116 per student.
See: Brian Mudd on School Funding – Part 1 and Part 2

IV. Costs of Education to Floridian Taxpayers for Illegal Aliens
According to a report published in 2009 by Jack Martin, the Director of Special Projects for FAIR (Federation for American Immigration Reform), based on the estimates of the illegal immigrant population in Florida and documented costs of K-12 schooling, Floridians spent nearly $2.9 billion annually on education for illegal immigrant children and for their U.S. born siblings. About 8.7 percent of K-12 public school students are children of illegal aliens. In addition, more than a quarter million illegal immigrant children and their U.S. born siblings were enrolled in special English instruction classes that cost the taxpayer more than $2,200 per student per year. In sum, the total expenditures for illegal alien public school students is $3, 451 million. Notably, under federal and state law, all Florida schools are barred from making inquiries from a student or his or her parents which may possibly expose the undocumented status of the student or parents.
See: Section 5 – Registration Procedures and Florida Study – The Costs of Illegal Immigrants

V. PBC School District Official’s Salaries
According to an article published in the Palm Beach Post on September 29, 2017, by Andrew Marra the number of Palm Beach County school executives making $140K has nearly tripled in two years. Marra found that since Robert Avossa took office in June 2015, the number of school officials earning at least $140,000.00 a years tripled, from nine to 26. The number of teachers earning at least $50,000 increased by 5%. In the same period the number of officials making at least $120,000 doubled, from 37 to 74. “During Avossa’s tenure, says Marra, Avossa created at least 16 high-level administrative jobs paying $120,000 or more, while boosting the salaries of other positions as he appointed new people to fill them.” Salaries for top administrators under Avossa ranged from $202,000.00 $157,996.00. Avossa was hired at $325,000 per year and when he stepped down from his position in June 2018, he was earning a base salary of $334, 750.

VI. PBC School District Teacher Salaries
According to the palmbeachschools.org website, beginning teachers can receive an annual total compensation package worth $59,653. They receive a base salary of $41,000, medical coverage and Life Insurance worth $9,195, paid time off (10 Sick/Personal Days) worth $2,091, Holiday Leave (6 Paid Holidays) worth $1,255, pension investment plan contributions worth $2,976, Social Security/Medicare Employer Contribution worth $3,136. Additional employee benefits and earning potential include the “Best and Brightest” Annual Bonus Potential of $6,000.00 and the “State Highly Effective” Annual Bonus Potential of $1,200.00.

VII. Palm Beach County School Enrollment and High School Graduation Rate
According to the United States Census Bureau in 2010-2015, the School District of Palm Beach County was home to an estimated 1,422,789 residents. According to the palmbeachschool.org website, the School District of Palm Beach County is the 11th largest in the continental U.S. and is the 5th largest in the state of Florida with 185 schools serving 176,724 K-12 students who speak 150 languages/dialects. In 2010-2013, the PBC School District’s employed 20,810 employees of which 12,480 were teachers. Over 38,256 community volunteers provided academic assistance to students through the Volunteers in Public Schools (VIPS) program. Approximately 1,200 partners provided between $3 million and $4 million per year in cash and other resources to support student achievement. The graduation rate for District-operated schools increased to 90 percent for the 2016-2017 school year. The graduation rate for all schools, including charter schools, was 85 percent for 2016-2017.

VIII. Palm Beach County School Options and School Grades.
There are 148 Choice and in-house programs within 25 PBC high schools. The Palm Beach County School District offers Magnet Schools Assistance Program that receives a grant of $11,645,103 from the U.S. Department of Education. According to an article by Scott Sutton, dated June 28, 2018, Palm Beach County received an A grade based on student achievement, learning gains on statewide standardized assessments and high school graduation rate. See:
FY18-Budget

There is no denying that based on my research Palm Beach County School District exceeds the revenue of other Florida counties, has quite the lofty budget and has very well paid administrators. Now we are being asked to cough up more of our taxpayer dollars. Instead of trimming the bloated administrative budget we are being told by the Palm Beach County school district that there are no other options available. I don’t buy it and neither should you.