JACKSONVILLE, FLa. – On Monday evening, members of the Duval County School Board made another pitch for a half-cent sales tax referendum, which appears on the election ballot for Duval County voters.
The nearly $2 billion school improvement tax measure would see schools in one of the lowest-income areas of the city receive the highest amount of that tax money over the next 15 years.
The half-cent sales tax money would also go toward safety and security, building upgrades and renovations at schools across the city.
RELATED: How Duval County’s half-cent sales tax would benefit schools in your neighborhood
“Just like work spaces, research shows a good learning environment improves achievement. It really does. And all students in (Duval) County deserve a building and resources to succeed," said board member Darryl Willie. “I’m excited about this half penny, excited about what’s to come.”
State funding has been cut since 2008 and has reduced facility funding by almost $300 million over the last 11 years.
“This has caused a ton of backlog of maintenance to the tune of around $243 million,” Willie said. "And because of the age of the schools, this backlog of maintenance will balloon even more to the tune of about $1 billion in the next five years. So we have to get this done.”
Duval County public schools are among the oldest in the state. The average age -- 44 years old.
“Not only do we have the oldest schools, but we also don’t have any alternative funding sources like many surrounding districts," said board member Charlotte Joyce.
Orlando voters approved a voluntary tax a few years ago.
Duval County School Board members encourage everyone to stay informed and follow the district on Facebook and on its referendum website.