Expected Raise for Palm Beach County Teachers is Being Pulled Back by Florida House

Some voters waiting in long lines. Others took time to mail-in ballots. Parents, especially cared deeply because they knew the result could have a major impact on their children.

They overwhelmingly said, “yes.”

This week, the Florida Legislature said, “hell no.”

Palm Beach county schools won big last November when 72 percent of the voters cast ballots in favor of a property tax hike. The tax hike would increase teacher salaries and increase school security as well as mental health services in schools.

The referendum’s approval means a portion of the school property tax will quadruple for four years and was set to begin this year (2019). The property tax was expected to bring an additional $200 million a year to Palm Beach county public schools, and would be allocated as follows:

$100 million would provide (much deserved and needed) raises for school district’s teachers.

$50 million would be spent for extra school security and mental health services.

$50 million would continue to provide money for teachers in the schools’ arts, physical education and choice academy teachers.

It is important to note that salaries for roughly 12,000 Palm Beach county teachers have suffered since the Great Recession, and a pay increase would help bring their salaries more in line with pre-Recession levels.

In what seems to be a an unfortunate change of events, the Florida Legislature voted to force school districts to share that extra money with charter schools. Based on the referendum, the tax hike would only benefit the public schools, leaving the county’s 49 charter schools in the cold.

The Academy for Positive Learning and Palm Beach Maritime Academy sued the district for a cut of the $200 million which is expected to be raised.

In an effort to give charter schools a piece of the money raised, the Florida Legislators have intervened and passed HB 7123 which would reverse the referendum and would force school districts to share that extra money with charter schools. HB7123 cleared the Florida House of Representatives and is now headed to the Florida Senate.

The actions of the Florida Legislature on HB7123 has become a running theme of this session. From the stalling of implementing Amendment Four, which would restore felon voting rights and now they are taking aim at Palm Beach county teachers.

This move by the Florida Legislature by passing HB7123 is a classic example of a bait and switch. And the implications of this bill could hurt voter confidence in future elections.

Similar referendums have passed in 20 other counties across the Sunshine state, but critics point some of these referendums were designed to help traditional public schools, not charter schools.

The strangest part is the fact that the referendum reversal is being lead by a Republican led legislature, which is usually for less regulation, and smaller government. Instead of leaving the referendum as is, members of the House Ways and Means Committee are citing a 2017 court ruling which required Indian River County to include charter schools in money raised from a local referendum.

The argument to allow charter schools in on the money raised by the referendum goes directly against the super majority who voted in favor of the tax hike. While it is unclear why this session in Tallahassee has decided to blatantly disregard the voice of Florida voters, but with 2020 on the horizon, it would be in the best interest of all elected officials in Tallahassee to stop trying to go against the voters who put them there.

Maybe the time is coming when Florida voters need to tell the Legislature leaders — “hell no.”