Your Vote Can Benefit Public Schools

Proposed Millage Funds Would Boost Employee Compensation, Student Programs, Technology

Brevard County residents will see an ad valorem millage on the November ballot to support Brevard Public Schools (BPS) and the mission of serving every student with excellence. 

The proposed millage referendum would be used toward employee compensation, student programs, and technology for BPS. The largest portion of the funds, 80%, would be used to correct wage compression for teachers and staff and keep the district competitive when it comes to recruiting and retaining the best and brightest educators.

With the help of the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA), a recent initiative of Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Legislature, starting teacher pay increased to $48,725 for the 2022-23 school year. In 2020, voters increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour, which BPS instituted this school year. Although this is a great recruitment tool for new teachers and staff, it has brought about the issue of wage compression, where an experienced employee is making little more than a new employee.   

According to the Florida Department of Education, the average annual teacher salary is $51,599. With new teachers making over $48,000, the salary difference between new and tenured teachers is marginal. With the budgeted funds, every BPS employee would benefit from the increase in compensation, except for the school board members, the superintendent, and the general counsel.

The second area to benefit would be student programs, with 16% of the allocated funding going toward programs like career and technical education, performing arts, STEM, athletics, and student enrichment. A portion also would be used for additional staffing of early childhood and student support services. 

Technology, specifically Classrooms of the Future, would receive 4% of the millage revenue. “Classrooms of the Future” encompasses many technical programs of BPS, including the 1-to-1 Computing Initiative, the goal of which is to provide schools with one computer or tablet for each student across the district. Other inclusions of the modern classrooms are interactive Promethean panels and professional development for staff. BPS has successfully implemented such classrooms at Viera, South Lake, and Andersen Elementary schools. 

An important aspect of understanding the proposed legislation is how the tax is assessed against residents’ home values. In Brevard County, the median taxable home value is $153,100, which would equate to an increase of $0.40 a day.

LEARN MORE

For questions regarding millage, email Millage2022@BrevardSchools.org. The general election will be Nov. 8, with early voting from Oct. 24-Nov. 5. For voting information, visit the Supervisor of Elections website at votebrevard.gov.

Kellyn Nobregas is the senior coordinator of government and community relations for Brevard Public Schools (BPS). BPS is Brevard County’s largest employer and is the 10th largest school district in Florida. Kellyn is a new resident of Brevard County and is a self-proclaimed lifelong learner.