Broward teachers will soon earn more. Here’s the latest as board increases taxes and agrees to cuts.
Broward teachers will soon earn more and homeowners will soon pay more, under a tentative budget approved Tuesday night.
The annual public budget hearing is usually a quick and routine meeting, but Tuesday’s meeting to approve the $3.1 billion budget lasted nearly four hours, as board members debated possible cuts, numerous teachers pleaded for more money and the board’s three conservative members fought unsuccessfully to lower the proposed tax rate.
This will be the first time in four years that property owners will pay an increased tax for teacher and employee salaries, security and mental health. This is largely because voters agreed last year to increase a tax first approved in 2018 from $50 to $100 per $100,000 in assessed property. This is the first year it will take effect.
With a 3% rise in assessed property values, it will mean a $232 increase for the owner of a house that was valued this year at $345,000, from $1,905 to $2,136.
Those without a homestead exemption would pay significantly more. Overall, taxable property values went up by 13% in Broward County, according to the district’s budget document.
As a result, Board member Torey Alston asked to reduce the property tax by $5 per $100,000 in assessed property, which failed. He also advocated for cuts to the budget, including eliminating 48 proposed district-level positions, despite enrollment declines.
“We need some relief,” Alston said. “To create new positions when enrollment is going down, absolutely not.”
Other board members said they want to see more cuts in positions but they asked new Superintendent Peter Licata to identify at least 27 positions to cut. None of these would be currently filled. The final budget is scheduled to be approved in September.
The budget hearing came a week after the School Board delayed a proposal by board member Allen Zeman to increase the average teacher’s compensation, including benefits, to $100,000 by 2025. Board members said they would revisit that in January.
Zeman said the districts needs to find about $10.6 million to pay for the teacher salary proposal and many board members didn’t like his recommended cuts, including ending no-premium health insurance and many maintenance and clerical positions.
Teachers attending the hearing said they would like to see more money immediately.
Stuart Kalver, a teacher who lives in Hollywood, said he lost his roommate and his rent is now $3,200 a month, which he said is more than his take-home pay. He urged the board to give teachers more money.
“There’s a strong chance that teachers like myself may be homeless in the beginning of the school year,” Kalver told the board. “We could really benefit from having these salary increases. I graduated in the south Broward area and if I could stay in my hometown, that would be awesome.”
Cindy Burdick, a district guidance counselor, said the needs of teachers and other employees are becoming dire.
“Today somebody came up to me and she said to me that she didn’t know how she was going to feed her kids this week,” Burdick said. “I’ve given all I can to the point where my kids are telling me, ‘Mommy, please stop bringing food into school.’ People are hungry.”
Board member Debbi Hixon said there’s confusion over teacher pay. Teachers will get a significant boost due to the tax increase voters approved. It’s only the $100,000 proposal that’s been delayed. The district is now in negotiations with the union.
“You are going to get the referendum money. That’s not optional,” Hixon said. “We’re not waiting until January to get money into the pockets of everyone. We would like that done sooner rather than later.”