Manatee County Votes YES to Keep the Ad Valorem Tax for Manatee County Schools
During the special election, voters were given the choice of whether to renew the 1-mill property tax referendum, where the funds would go to Manatee County School District.
First passed in 2018, the school district credits the referendum for attracting and keeping quality teachers with higher pay. The money also expanded learning time to an additional 30 minutes, while helping expand career, technical, STEM and art programs.
Manatee County - Elections Results, from November 2nd, 2021...
Yes - 46,900 total votes with 69.23% of the votes
No - 20,849 total votes with 30.77% of the votes
The money produced by these taxes has boosted teacher salaries by $5,000 each year and funded more technology for students.
After these unofficial results were announced, Manatee Schools Superintendent Cynthia Saunders released the following statement:
“As superintendent of our more than 50,000 students and 6,600 employees, I humbly thank the citizens of Manatee County for their overwhelming support of public education in our community. How blessed and grateful we are to live in a county that values its students, teachers, and schools in such a spectacular way.
I am thrilled that the extension of the 1-mill will continue to keep us competitive with neighboring school districts like Sarasota and Pinellas Counties – both of whom have had the additional mill for almost two decades.
It will do so in the following ways:
- By adding 30 minutes of instructional time to each school day.
- By increasing pay for teachers and other district staff who work directly with students.
- By enhancing and expanding science, technology, engineer, and math (STEM) programs as well as career and technical education and visual and performing arts offerings.
- And by supporting local charter schools.
A special thanks to all of the individuals and organizations who actively supported the referendum, especially those individuals who worked tirelessly on behalf of Forward Manatee, led by co-chairs Dr. Denise Davis-Cotton and Ernie Withers.
We look forward to working with our entire community to continue elevating the educational experience for our students and schools.”
Photo: The School District of Manatee County