Polk voters approved a 1-mill school tax with more than 60% of the vote. It adds $1 per $1,000 of taxable value, about $259 a year on the county's average home.
Polk County voters approved an extra school property tax in Tuesday’s election. The 1-mill levy will pay for higher wages for school staff and for school safety, arts, career education and pre-K programs.
The measure passed with more than 60% of the vote, Polk County Public Schools said Wednesday. The figures are unofficial until the county canvassing board certifies them. The Polk County Supervisor of Elections publishes the official count.
“We are deeply thankful to Polk County voters for deciding this important issue,” Superintendent Fred Heid said in a statement on the district’s referendum page.
What voters approved
The ballot question asked whether the Polk County School District should levy an additional 1.0 mill in property taxes each year to fund:
- teacher recruitment and retention
- education support staff
- career and technical education
- school safety
- arts
- early learning
Charter schools get a share as state law requires. An independent citizens’ oversight committee will monitor the spending. The tax runs for four years, the most Florida law allows, the district says. Voters would have to approve it again to keep it after that.
What it costs you
One mill is $1 for every $1,000 of taxable value after homestead exemptions. The district’s own example uses the county’s average home market value of $284,419. After the standard $25,000 homestead exemption, the taxable value is $259,419. The tax on that home comes to $259.42 a year, or about $21.62 a month.
| Taxable value after exemptions | Added each year |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $100 |
| $150,000 | $150 |
| $200,000 | $200 |
| $259,419 (county average) | $259.42 |
| $300,000 | $300 |
Your own taxable value is on your TRIM notice and on the Polk County Property Appraiser’s website. See our guide to Lakeland property taxes for how the rest of the bill is built.
The district’s referendum page does not yet say which tax bill will first carry the extra mill.
Where the money goes
The district expects to receive about $65.6 million a year. Its referendum page splits that as follows:
- $52.5 million (80%) for added pay for employees
- $13.1 million (20%) for school safety and security, fine and performing arts, career and technical education, and early childhood education
Charter schools will receive about $13.6 million, based on enrollment, the district says.
The pay money is meant for school-based staff, not only teachers. The district lists teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers, counselors, social workers, school safety staff, custodians, cafeteria and clerical workers, maintenance staff and school administrators. It says the tax will not create new district office jobs.
Raises still have to be bargained
No employee knows yet what they will get. Under Florida’s Public Employees Relations Act, the School Board must bargain with the unions over any new money meant for pay, the district says. Talks will settle:
- whether everyone gets the same amount or it is tiered
- whether the money goes into base salary or a recurring supplement
- when it is paid
The district’s page compares nearby districts with a similar tax. Hillsborough County pays teachers a $6,000 supplement, for example. Polk’s starting teacher salary in 2024-25 was $47,500 and its average was $51,613, the lowest average of the seven large districts in the district’s table.
What it means for you
- Homeowners: expect about $1 a year more for every $1,000 of taxable value, for four years. A home with a $200,000 taxable value pays $200 more a year.
- School staff: pay changes depend on bargaining between the School Board and the unions. Watch School Board agendas on BoardDocs.
- Parents: the 20% program share covers safety upgrades such as cameras, door locks and fencing, plus arts, career academies and pre-K, the district says.
For Lakeland’s schools, grades and zones, see our Lakeland schools guide. For registration and future elections, see voting in Polk County.
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