Polk County’s school board is considering asking voters to approve a property tax referendum next year.
“I know that any time you talk about an increase in taxes at the local level, it can become a heated conversation,” Superintendent Fred Heid said at a Tuesday school board work session.
But he said in this case, despite “considerable” raises that board members have approved over the past four years — including a historic package the board approved on a 5-0 vote Tuesday — salaries in Polk County are still lagging.
“Our first-year entry-level salaries are not competitive with the surrounding districts at this point,” Heid said.
“This would allow us to help offset and address those things.”
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Road map to a referendum: School board attorneys Frederick Murphy and Drew Crawford prepared a timeline for the board members, outlining what they would need to do to get a millage referendum on the November 2026 general election ballot.
First, Murphy said, the board would need to make some decisions:
- How much? At least 12 Central Florida school districts successfully petitioned voters for additional millage in 2022 or 2024. The majority requested 1 mill, which is $1 in property taxes per $1,000 of assessed value, but a few sought .5 or .75 mills.
- How long? The maximum term of a millage levy is four years, typically starting the odd-numbered year immediately following the election.
- What for? The board would need to establish a distribution formula outlining how the funds would be used. It could be used entirely for salaries, or primarily for salaries with funds set aside for other operating expenses as well.
Then the board would need to approve a resolution including the exact language to be placed on the ballot, and forward it to the Board of County Commissioners.
Murphy said the county likes to have resolutions “at least six months” before the election.
“My hope is that we’re giving them much more than that,” District 4 board member Sara Beth Wyatt said.
Communication plan: The school board is not allowed to spend public money to advocate for a millage referendum. But it can provide factual information to voters.
“This is not reinventing the wheel,” Murphy said. “We would look to perhaps some of our adjacent counties that did this that were successful. You’ll see a website. You’ll see direct information mailers, I think. Printed materials for sure.”
Enlisting partners: Heid recommended that the board create a committee to review a recent efficiency audit, weigh in on the distribution formula, and supervise expenditures if a referendum passes “to hold us accountable long-term.”
School board members said they would expect the Polk Education Association and statewide teachers’ union to help spread the word.
April 8 workshop: The school district administration and teachers’ union are expected to do a joint presentation to the board during its work session April 8 from 9 a.m. to noon. Heid said there is no meeting following the workshop, so board members will “have time to chew on it.”
District 5 board member Kay Fields said she was glad things were moving along. “Even though November 2026 seems far away, it’s really not.”
“I think it lays out a great timeline,” District 6 board member Justin Sharpless said of the attorneys’ memo. “This kind of decision isn’t something that can happen last-minute.”
Polk Education Association President Stephanie Yocum said she was encouraged by the discussion. “Communities across Florida have passed millage referendum initiatives, and Polk must be the next district to invest in their public schools.”
LkldNow’s Insight Polk independent reporting initiative is made possible by the Community Indicators Project with funding by GiveWell Community Foundation & United Way of Central Florida. All editorial decisions are made by LkldNow.
Cindy Glover is a reporter for LkldNow, a nonprofit newsroom providing independent local news for Lakeland. Read at LkldNow.com.
