The School Board of Alachua County adopted a final budget of $612.8 million for fiscal year 2024-2025 and a 6.26 millage rate for this year.
The total budget includes an allocation of $297.8 million to the general fund, which includes almost $168 million for instructional staff salaries, while the rest goes to other necessities like student lunches, technology and transportation.
The capital project funds are allocated for the maintenance, renovation and construction of Alachua County schools. The budget includes $152.7 million for these projects.
The biggest challenges the school board faces include nationwide inflation, requirements from the state and federal governments and fewer students at each school.
The budget was written on July 1 after the property appraiser certified the county’s tax roll. The public has had access to the proposal since July 28 and was allowed to speak at the meeting.
“I think the professionals do a good job and understand how to divide it up, because you need music, and nurses and coaches, but you also need reading, writing and arithmetic,” said Jim Curington, 79, a resident of Alachua and former high school sports official.
In 2018, the county voted for a half-cent sales tax to renovate campuses. This includes improving and modernizing classrooms and eliminating portables. The board took out a loan based on what they would receive over 12 years from the tax to save money on rising construction costs.
In addition, in 2020 the federal government issued the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund, which provided each county with approximately $95 million every year to help students and staff through the pandemic.
On Sept. 30, Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds will stop being allocated across the country, requiring school boards to make final purchases or forfeit the money.
Jackie Johnson, the Director of Communications and Community Initiatives for Alachua County, said that schools had recovered from the economic hardships that the pandemic brought, but Florida is pushing for more students to transfer to private and charter schools. She said that schools lose about $8,000 per student who leaves public schools. The county could lose $3.6 million in January with additional private and charter schools opening.
“We had pretty much recovered from COVID-19 in terms of number of students, but the state has increased the number of students eligible for vouchers, so they leave,” Johnson said.
With the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief money, the school board has prioritized purchasing technology and online textbooks. It plans to have a 1-to-1 ratio of technology per student by the end of October. Grades kindergarten through second grade use iPads, and third through 12th grade use laptops. The downside is textbooks need to be purchased yearly and technology needs to be upgraded every few years.
While the federal government does provide funding for things like school meals and Title I, most of the funding comes from local property and sales taxes.
The 2023-2024 millage rate was 6.43, while the 2024-2025 rate is 6.26, a negative 2.66% difference. Property values increased by 3% since last year and the household tax increase is $5.03. Total millage revenue for 2024-25 is about $162.5 million.
“Last year, a $200,000 house paid $565.43 in tax, and this year, for that same house adjusted up to 3% to $206,000, would only get $550.96 in the required local effort,” said Dr. Sarah Rockwell, a member of the Alachua County School Board.
Every election year starting in 2008, the county is asked to vote on a one-mill property tax for schools. The vote will not increase taxes, just keep the already existing tax in place.
“I choose to live in Alachua. It is a great place to live and the school board plays a part in making it great,” said Curington.