Manatee County School Board Adopts Controversial Budget 3-2

BRADENTON – While all members of the School Board unanimously approved the millage rate of 5.7120 for the Local Required Effort millage required by the state, the Manatee County School Board was divided on the decision to raise the school board controlled mileage rate.  

”I’ve received hundreds of emails and phone calls regarding the budget,“ said board member Karen Carpenter. ”This is a democratic process and all the concerns, disagreements and recommendations are very helpful. We are all in this together and this is a process that we can continue to improve upon.“

After the state legislature increased the LRE millage from 5.343 to 5.7120, the school district had to increase the Manatee School Board millage or face a loss of funding of $61.8 million from the Florida Education Finance Program. The FEFP is meant to give each child in Florida an equal opportunity. It is evenly divided among every school district so that children in both property-rich counties and rural areas receive the same amount of capital per student.

Citizens were torn on whether they supported or opposed keeping the district’s millage the same as last year, which means citizens would see an increase of 0.369 from the state mandates. Not having a tax increase on homeowner TRIM notices would require decreasing the entire rate and cutting the district’s already stretched budget an additional $9 million – a measure that Superintendent McGonegal claims is not possible without adversely affecting education.

Both board members Julie Aranibar and Carpenter opposed approving a separate discretionary millage of .748, a capital outlay millage of 1.500 mills and the 2011-12 Fiscal Year Final Annual Budget in the amount of $598,001,543.00. Both members felt more cuts could be made.

Executive Director of Finance Jim Drake assured taxpayers that with their rolled back tax rate of 4.22 percent that would have provided the ad valorem tax, there would be no tax increase. Since last year, the average taxed value of a $144,000 home has gone down $7,100. However, some residents didn’t feel that was an excuse to raise millage rates.

”I received my TRIM notice that very clearly stated that my property value has decreased by $25,000 but my taxes went up $498,“ said Darian Taylor. ”We are having to take drastic measures. We are going to become a county where our values are going down but our taxes are becoming unaffordable.“

Others supported the school board’s decision stating that investing in childrens' education is a more than admirable cause for a tax increase and motivation for newcomers to locate in the area.

”I support increase of this valid millage,“ said Jerry Howze. ”We made a decision to live in Manatee County because we thought this county vested the most in our children’s future.“

In 2010, student enrollment in the Manatee County school system grew by 1,159 students, however 75 percent registered in charter schools. On average, charter schools account for 19 percent of growth in the district. About 62 percent of educational costs are covered by property taxes. The cost of implementing the Class Size Amendment was over 2.1 millage or $50.2 million in categorical funding according to Drake. That means classroom services account for the majority of district spending.

While the Florida Legislature has maintained they lowered Florida school property taxes, they actually raised them by increasing county LRE. For the first time ever, they also provided zero Public Education Capital Outlay funds, or PECO, for public schools. PECO reserves are revenue derived  from a tax  collected on the gross receipts from the sale of utility services used for facility maintenance or new construction. This year, ALL the monies were sent to charter schools.