From Orange County Public Schools and Staff Reports
In Summary:
Orange County voters will again decide the future of the district’s one-mill property tax referendum after the School Board approved placing the measure on the November ballot. Board members debated whether referendum funds should specifically guarantee teacher raises before ultimately approving language largely unchanged from previous years. District leaders say the funding remains critical to preserving staffing, academic programs, arts, athletics, and extracurricular activities as enrollment declines continue affecting state funding.
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Orange County voters will once again decide the future of one of the school district’s most important funding sources after the Orange County School Board voted Tuesday to place the district’s one-mill property tax referendum back on the November ballot.
Related: OCPS approves Apopka-area school rezonings for 2026-27 school year.
The vote followed a week of growing debate among board members, teachers, and union leaders over whether the referendum language should explicitly guarantee money for teacher raises. In the end, a divided board approved ballot language largely mirroring the wording voters have approved repeatedly since 2010, keeping the focus on preserving staffing, academic programs, arts, athletics, and student activities rather than earmarking funds specifically for salary increases.
The measure passed in a 5-3 vote, with School Board Chair Teresa Jacobs joined by Vice Chair Maria Salamanca and board members Alicia Farrant, Vicki-Elaine Felder, and Melissa Byrd in support. Board members Anne Douglas, Angie Gallo, and Stephanie Vanos voted against the proposal after pushing for stronger language that would tie referendum dollars directly to teacher pay increases.
"None of us can predict the future, so tying the hands of future boards to increase their budgets each year is not good governance," said District 7 OCPS Board Member Melissa Byrd. "I hope that all future boards will be able to increase compensation every year for employees as we have since I’ve been on the board."
If approved by voters in November, the referendum would extend the existing one-mill property tax beginning July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. District officials estimate the tax would generate roughly $261 million annually over the next four years.
The referendum represents a continuation of a funding source that Orange County Public Schools leaders increasingly describe as foundational to maintaining existing programs and staffing levels, even as enrollment declines continue to affect state education funding.
According to district data presented during Tuesday’s meeting, more than $219 million of the approximately $242 million generated by the current referendum during the 2025-26 school year directly supports teacher salaries and compensation, funding nearly 2,000 instructional positions across the district.
District leaders argued the referendum’s primary purpose remains preserving existing services rather than creating new recurring financial obligations.
Supporters of maintaining the current language warned that specifically guaranteeing raises through referendum funding could create long-term budget risks if future referendum revenues fluctuate or fail to meet projections. Board members backing the existing structure also emphasized that the tax historically served as a stabilizing mechanism during periods of economic uncertainty and funding losses rather than a dedicated raise initiative.
The debate comes as OCPS faces continued enrollment declines that district officials say are reducing state funding by tens of millions of dollars annually. District leaders have repeatedly pointed to those financial pressures while defending the need to preserve staffing levels, academic programs, arts education, extracurricular activities, and athletics.
Teacher advocates and union leaders, however, argued that the district should place greater pressure on itself to prioritize educator compensation in future financial planning.
The approved ballot language asks voters whether the district should continue the one-mill ad valorem tax for “essential operating expenses,” including compensation for teachers and educational support employees, while preserving academic programs, arts, athletics, and student activities. The measure also includes annual reporting requirements intended to provide public accountability over how the funds are spent.
The referendum will appear on the November 2026 ballot, continuing a funding question Orange County voters have approved every four years since it first appeared following the recession-era budget cuts more than a decade ago.
Key Points:
- The Orange County School Board voted 5-3 to place the district’s one-mill property tax referendum back on the November 2026 ballot.
- Board members debated whether referendum funds should be specifically tied to teacher raises before approving language largely unchanged from previous years.
- District leaders said the referendum remains critical to preserving staffing, academic programs, arts, athletics, extracurricular activities, and support positions.
- OCPS estimates the renewed one-mill tax would generate approximately $261 million annually over the next four years if approved by voters.
- The vote comes as Orange County Public Schools continues facing enrollment declines and reduced state funding tied to lower student enrollment.
