‘We have a crisis situation:’ Voters to decide whether to fund school maintenance

News 6 | By Erik Sandoval | October 29, 2024

Half-cent sales tax measures on Marion, Orange ballots

MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Voters are heading to the polls in two Central Florida counties to decide whether they want to pay a half-cent sales tax to fund repairs and maintenance costs for public schools.

Two News 6 investigations earlier this year exposed the issues facing schools in Marion and Orange counties.

In Marion County, 80% of the maintenance requests are not fixed because the district does not have the $839 million it needs to complete them.

None of the classrooms at East Marion Elementary School have doors.

“It’s not to be overly dramatic, but when you look at the data, the growth and our facilities, when you have about half our facilities are over 50 years old, the cost of maintenance continues to climb,” said Dr. Diane Gullet, superintendent of Marion County Schools.

The State of Florida does not provide funding for school maintenance, and as a result, Gullett said her district is in a crisis.

Now, the Marion County School Board is hoping voters approve a half-cent sales tax to help fund the district’s repairs.

Board members have created a priority list of projects totaling $326 million they would like to get done if the measure is approved.

Voters in Orange County will vote on whether they want to renew the half-cent sales tax that has been funding school maintenance.

“When you’re a school district as large as ours, it is really a challenge to try and keep up with just the renovation and refurbishment needs of our facilities,” said Rory Salimbene, chief facilities officer for Orange County Public schools.

He showed News 6 around Howard Middle School, which was undergoing a massive renovation funded by the district’s half-cent sales tax.

Peeling paint can be seen inside Howard Middle School’s auditorium.

“This is not a sustainable way to maintain and fund schools across the state, to rely on the citizens each time to pass it,” Jacobs said.

A News 6 investigation found out some of the school maintenance money used to come from fees from telephone landlines but when those went away, so did the money. Meantime, lottery dollars now mostly fund secondary education and Bright Futures scholarships.

During a recent school board workshop, Jacobs proposed advocating for the state to pay for school maintenance. News 6 reached out to the Florida Department of Education to see if it would consider this. The agency gave us this statement in an email:

The Florida Department of Education shares your concern for the health, safety and welfare of public school students. In accordance with section (s.) 4(b) of Article IX, Florida Constitution and s. 1001.32, Florida Statutes (F.S.), Florida public school boards are autonomous governmental units that operate, control and supervise all public schools within their respective districts. In addition, s. 1001.42, F.S., requires each local school board to identify its facility needs and provide for the proper maintenance and upkeep of its school facilities. Although staff from the Florida Department of Education are available to provide technical assistance to school districts upon request, it does not administer the day-to-day operation of school facilities. Because the construction and maintenance of facilities are a responsibility of each school district, it follows that the vast majority of funding for these projects are also a local responsibility.

Nathalia Medina, Press Secretary for Florida Department of Education