OCPS board to decide whether tax initiative heads to ballot

OCPS board to decide whether half-cent sales tax heads to November ballot

By Celeste Springer Orlando

PUBLISHED 7:55 PM ET Apr. 22, 2024 PUBLISHED 7:55 PM EDT Apr. 22, 2024

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — For more than 20 years, Orange County’s half-cent sales tax has afforded the school district funds for new buildings and renovations, however the tax will expire in late 2025. On Tuesday, Orange County School Board members will decide whether the tax initiative will head to voters once again.

What You Need To Know

According to the school district, the tax was originally approved in 2002, and later renewed in 2014

Since then, officials say they’ve had to open at least 65 new schools to make way for growth and population changes

The district says they expect that renewing the tax could result in $800 million over the next 10 years, which would help pay for new renovations or schools

With aging and deteriorating schools, partnered with population growth, OCPS will need to decide whether the half-cent sales tax will face renewal by voters in November.

Back in 2014, the measure received 64% approval from voters, according to officials.

Howard Middle School is one of the schools currently undergoing renovations with the funding previously provided by the measure. The school, which is over 100 years old, has a heavy emphasis on their arts program.

“I think (the school is) going to see some significant impact with the student quality of productions, student experience here at Howard,” said John Payne-Rios, Howard Middle School Technical Theatre Director. “The fact that OCPS has been able to have the funds to support this endeavor of having a 100-year-old building—I think it’s really helpful in that aspect.”

District officials say the funds have also gone to new school buildings.

Currently, the district is also nearing completion of Atwater Bay Elementary School, which county documents show was budgeted as a $45 million project.

District officials say they expect a renewal of the half-cent sales tax could account for $800 million in funding for similar projects over the next 10 years.

“We are in full support of continuing the half-cent sales tax for schools in Orange County,” wrote Orange County Classroom Teachers Association President Clinton McCracken in a statement. “The education of our amazing students matters to this community and teachers can best achieve results when they are equipped with the resources needed. This includes the facilities where our students learn and thrive. Our Orange County community has made its values visible in many of the state-of-the-art schools we have, but there is more work to be done and our students deserve this priority.”

While the school board will need to decide if the measure will head to November’s ballot for renewal, from there it will still be up to voters to decide the fate of the sales tax.