CITIZENS BUDGET REPORTThe objective of this report is to present Hillsborough County Public...

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TAMPA, FL CITIZENS BUDGET REPORT FISCAL YEAR ENDED 2018/2019 Page 1 of 21

Transcript of CITIZENS BUDGET REPORTThe objective of this report is to present Hillsborough County Public...

  • TAMPA, FL

    CITIZENS BUDGET REPORT

    FISCAL YEAR ENDED2018/2019

    Page 1 of 21

  • Vision

    Preparing Students for Life

    Mission

    To provide an education and the supports that enable each student to excel as a successful and responsible citizen.

    School Board Members Steve P. Cona III Lynn L. Gray Stacy A. Hahn Karen Perez Tamara P. Shamburger Melissa Snively Cindy Stuart

    Superintendent of Schools Jeff Eakins

    Page 2 of 21

  • MESSAGE FROM THE CBO

    Dear Citizens and Taxpayers of Hillsborough County,

    Business Services is proud to present The Citizens Budget Report. The objective of this report is

    to present Hillsborough County Public Schools’ budget in a more understandable and readable

    manner and to inform the citizens of Hillsborough County how the funds flow into the school

    district, how they are spent, and the value they are receiving for their dollars.

    The budget process is complex. The district’s strategic priorities drive the development of the

    budget. Our dollars are regularly assessed on key performance indicators to ensure that goals

    are being met and that the district remains fiscally sound. In addition, the district must also be

    able to adopt short term priorities as conditions arise (i.e., hurricanes, school facility damages

    or school safety). The district has been successful in meeting these challenges by continuing to

    focus on maintaining and slightly increasing the fund balance.

    We hope you find this information helpful. If you have any questions, please contact Susan

    Garcia (813)272-4064 or visit the district’s website at:

    https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/departments/13/budget-and-federal-finance/about/

    Respectfully,

    Gretchen Saunders

    Gretchen Saunders, Chief Business Officer

    VISION

    Preparing students for life.

    MISSION

    To provide an education and the supports that

    enable each student to excel as a successful and

    responsible citizen.

    In This Report:

    Message from the CBO……………………………….….….1

    School Board Members………………………….…….……2

    Hillsborough County Public Schools Fast Facts.3-4

    Who We Are….………………………………………………… 5

    Budget Definitions ……………………….………..……...6

    Following Your Tax Dollars………………….……..…..7-8

    Adopted Budget Fiscal Year 2018/2019…...…..9-10

    General Fund…………………………………………...……..11

    Special Revenue Funds…………………………..………..12

    Debt Service Funds…………………………..…..…………13

    Capital Outlay Funds.……………………..….………13-14

    Internal Service Funs ………………………..…...………15

    Budget FAQs……………………………………….……..16-17

    Property Tax FAQs………………………….…….……18-19

    B

    STRATEGIC PRIORITIES:

    INCREASE GRADUATION RATES

    COMMUNICATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS

    BUILD STRONG CULTURE AND RELATIONSHIPS

    STRENGTHEN FOUNDATIONS OF FINANCIAL Stewardship

    1Page 3 of 21

    https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/departments/13/budget-and-federal-finance/about/

  • Hillsborough County Public

    Schools is the eighth largest school district in the nation and the third

    largest in the State of Florida. The

    School Board is comprised of a seven-

    member board elected on staggered

    terms in a county-wide election. The

    School Board is the policy making and

    legislative authority for the school

    district. They are responsible for

    determining policy and adopting our

    budget. The School Board appoints the

    Superintendent of Schools.

    The Superintendent is the Chief

    Executive Officer and is responsible

    for enforcement of Florida School

    Statutes and laws, preparation and

    administration of the annual budget,

    provision of services, implementation

    of policies, and appointment of

    employees. Hillsborough County

    Public Schools embraces the diversity

    of its students and employees and

    strives to achieve excellence in

    education through a rigorous hands-

    on curriculum taught by highly-

    effective educators.

    From left to right: Jeff Eakins, Superintendent, Karen Perez representing District 6, Stacy Hahn,

    representing District 2, Cindy Stuart, representing District 3, Tamara Shamburger, Board Chair,

    representing District 5, Melissa Snively, Vice Chair representing District 4, Lynn Gray representing

    District 7 and Steve Cona, representing District 1.

    SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS

    2Page 4 of 21

  • F A S TF A C T S

    F I S C A L Y E A R2 0 1 8 / 2 0 1 9

    The state passed a new law requiring an armedtrained first responder in every traditional public andcharter school.The state provided an additional sixmillion dollars to our district. However, it will cost theschool district an additional $7 million to comply withthe mandate. The  state also provided $4.9 million forthe district to develop a mental health plan in order toidentify students with mental illness earlier.

    60% of our workforce arecertified teachers.

    36% of our workforce aresupport employees such as:

    secretaries, security officers,custodians, student nutrition

    service employees, busdrivers, and clerks.

    3% of our workforce areprincipals and assistant

    principals and 1% are districtadministrators.

    Personnel

    Materials and Supplies

    Health Services

         Safety/Security

    Transportation

    Classroom Technology

    Hillsborough County SchoolDistrict is the Largest Employer

    in Hillsborough County

    11.01%  Federal Sources

    38.54%  State Source

     33.41%  Local Sources & 

    17.04% Non Revenue      Sources

    Where do our dollars come from? Where do our  dollars go?

    Who do we employ?New Mandates that Impact the Budget

    3Page 5 of 21

    pondesuHighlight

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  • THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES ARE:  1. Increase Graduation Rates

    2. Communication with Stakeholders 3. Build Strong Culture and Relationships

    4. Strengthen Foundations of Financial Stewardship

    With less dollars being allocated to education andnot keeping up with inflation, the district had tomake some tough decisions. Nineteen hundredpositions were eliminated, courtesy busing wasdiscontinued for middle and high schools district-wide, and school bell schedules were adjusted tooptimize the use of our bus drivers.

    Strategic Priorities

    How the budget was balanced:

    F A S TF A C T S

    F I S C A L Y E A R2 0 1 8 / 2 0 1 9

    4Page 6 of 21

  • HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLSWho We Are

    Hillsborough ranks at the top 27 large schooldistricts across America. Fourth graders tied for

    1st place in reading and math. Eighth graderstied for 1st place in reading and second in math.

    Our school busestravel 16 million

    miles annually andtransport studenton 837 bus routes

    The Student Nutrition Servicesdepartment served 125,892,550

    (million) breakfasts,20,626,041(million) lunches and

    1,379,296 (million) dinners inFiscal Year 17/18

    Hillsborough CountyPublic Schools is theeighth largest in thenation based on thenumber of students

    attending our schools.

    Hillsborough CountyPublic Schools employsover 25,000 employees

    Including 15,000certifiedteachers

    850 bus drivers

    1,547 Food Serviceemployees

    1,552 custodians

    Graduation ratesincreased from 79.10% in

    2016 to 85.8% in 2018

    The district has 230schools and 215,000students

    5Page 7 of 21

  • 1. Appropriations - a sum of money or total of assets devoted to a special purpose or something that has been appropriated specifically: money set aside by formal action of a statute, a granting organization, United States government, school board, etc. for a specific use.

    2. Expenditures - Payment of cash or cash-equivalent for goods or services, or a charge against

    available funds in settlement of an obligation as evidenced by an invoice, receipt, voucher,

    or other such document.

    Fund - Dollars set aside for a specific purpose.

    FTE (Full Time Equivalent) – An FTE is defined as one student in membership in a Florida

    Education Finance Program (FEFP) or combination of programs for 180 days and not less

    than 900 hours for grades 4-12, and not less than 720 hours for grades PK-3.

    Homestead Exemption - Homestead exemption is a constitutional privilege that reduces

    the assessed value of residential property up to $25,000 for qualified permanent residents

    for school district taxes.

    An Amendment to the “Save Our Homes” act was passed in January 2008 providing for an

    additional homestead exemption of up to $25,000 to home owners whose homes have an

    assessed value of more than $50,000. This additional exemption does not apply to the

    school board millage.

    Millage Rate - Millage rate is the rate at which property taxes are levied on property. A mill

    is 1/1000 of a dollar. Property taxes are computed by multiplying the taxable value of the

    property by the number of mills levied.

    Referendum - A vote in which all the people in a county or an area are asked to give their

    opinion about or decide a matter of political or social importance.

    Required Local Effort - The amount of funding that each school district in Florida provides

    annually toward the cost of the FEFP. Each school district generates the required local effort

    by levying a state mandated millage rate on ad valorem taxes (ad valorem taxes and

    property taxes can be used interchangeably).

    Revenue – Dollars generated from taxation, state allocations, grants or other sources.

    BUDGET DEFINITIONS

    6Page 8 of 21

  • On September 11, 2018, the School

    Board of Hillsborough County

    approved a $3-billion-dollar budget.

    The budget was balanced with a

    0.1820 school property tax millage

    decrease. This means that if the value

    of your property remained the same

    as last year, you will be paying less in

    school property taxes.

    School districts in Florida must follow

    the budget process established by

    Florida Statutes to prepare and

    approve the annual budget. The

    budget is prepared by governmental

    fund type and is required to be

    balanced. Budget amendments are

    submitted monthly to reflect any

    legally authorized revisions of the

    original budget.

    Annually, the budget is built on any

    legislative changes, Florida Statutes

    and the FEFP (Florida Education

    Finance Program) First Calculation

    which is published in the spring after

    the Florida Legislative Session has

    finished. The FEFP Second

    Calculation, which is issued 20 days

    after the local property appraiser’s

    office certifies the property values to

    the Florida Department of Revenue is

    used also along with historical

    expenditure data, and any known

    factors or trends for the upcoming

    year such as a new subdivision, a

    business moving to Hillsborough

    County, additional charter schools

    opening, etc.

    The FEFP was enacted in 1973 to

    equalize educational funding and

    opportunities across the state. The

    FEFP takes into consideration: (1)

    varying local property taxes; (2)

    varying education program costs; (3)

    cost of living; and (4) varying costs

    due to sparsity and dispersion of

    student population.

    In order to participate in the FEFP,

    school districts in the State of Florida

    are required by Florida Statute to levy

    the millage rate set by the Florida

    Department of Education for School

    State Property Taxes. This portion of

    the school property taxes goes

    directly to the state and is

    redistributed to the school districts

    based on student enrollments. The

    discretionary portion of school

    property taxes comes directly to the

    school district and is set at 0.748 mills

    for discretionary operating and 1.50 mills for local capital outlay. School

    FOLLOWING THE TAX DOLLARS

    7Page 9 of 21

  • districts cannot change the millage

    rates nor lower property taxes.

    The requirements for setting tax rates

    and adopting budgets for all local

    governments and school districts are

    established under the Truth in

    Millage (TRIM) legislation (section

    200.065 of the Florida Statutes).

    TRIM was enacted in 1980 in the

    State of Florida. The legislation

    dictates the timetable, hearing

    requirements and advertising

    specifications that must be adhered

    to every year.

    For school districts, the Department

    of Revenue certifies the tax rolls to

    the Department of Education no later

    than July 1 of each year. The

    Department of Education then

    calculates the millage rates school

    districts must levy in order to

    participate in the FEFP and certifies

    the rate to each district. This portion

    of the tax bill is called the Required

    Local Effort (RLE).

    For fiscal year 2018/2019, the RLE

    millage rate the School District of

    Hillsborough County must levy was

    4.1660. This is a decrease of -0.1820

    mills from last year.

    2017/2018 2018/2019 Difference

    Operating Budget

    State Required Local Effort1 4.3480 4.1660 -0.1820 Discretionary Operating2 0.7480 0.7480 0.0000 Required Local Effort Prior Period Adjustment 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 Critical Operating Needs 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 Supplemental 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 Total 5.0960 4.9140 -0.1820 Debt Service 0.0000 0.0000 0.0000 Local Capital Outlay3 1.5000 1.5000 0.0000 Total Mills 6.5960 6.4140 -0.1820 1 Required by the State of Florida to participate in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) 2 The maximum rate allowed by law - to be used at the discretion of the district 3 The maximum rate allowed by law to fund new construction; remodeling, maintenance and renovation of a lease-purchase agreement; and the repayment of loans.

    8Page 10 of 21

  • ADOPTED BUDGET FISCAL YEAR 2018/2019

    BUDGET REGULATIONS

    The budgetary accounts of the District are grouped into funds in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and standards prescribed by the Florida Department of Education. The Financial and Program Cost Accounting and Reporting for Florida

    Schools manual has established a modified accrual basis of accounting as the standard for governmental fund budgeting and reporting. All Florida school districts must adhere to this basis.

    The budget document contains financial information for each of the funds or fund groups of the District for which a budget must be adopted. Budgetary control is maintained at the function level (who you are buying it for) and object level (what you are buying).

    Each principal or site manager is responsible for their respective budget.

    Expenditures are not authorized that are in excess of budgetary appropriations. As with any projection, however, changes to appropriations are necessary in order to meet critical needs as they are identified. Therefore, budget amendments are prepared on a monthly basis and submitted to the School Board for approval.

    Comparison of Budget – All Funds

    The total budget for all funds for the 2018/2019 fiscal year totaled $3,014,117,647 (billion). This is a decrease of $103,488,663 (million) below the final number in the 2017/2018 Budget. The 2018/2019 total budget figure reflected below includes a General Fund operating budget of $1,893,628,749.86 (billion) and a Capital Projects budget of $365,113,959 (million).

    TOTAL BUDGET AT A GLANCE

    Fund Types 2017/2018 2018/2019 Increase

    (Decrease)

    Final Budget Adopted Budget Difference

    General Fund $ 1,848,358,885 $1,893,628,750 $ 45,270,864

    Special Revenue $ 232,999,748 $ 230,729,668 $ (2,270,080) Food Service $ 140,985,782 $ 144,850,108 $ 3,864,327 Debt Service $ 372,095,121 $ 175,702,206 $ (196,392,915) Capital Outlay (new) $ 168,478,687 $ 208,343,564 $ 39,864,876

    Capital Outlay (committed) $ 156,770,396 $ 156,770,396 $ -

    Internal Service $ 197,918,690 $ 204,087,955 $ 6,169,265 Total All Funds $3,117,606,310 $3,014,117,646.77 $(103,488,662.77)

    9Page 11 of 21

  • To balance the budget, maintain

    current educational programs for

    students, and provide compensation

    to instructional and support staff, the

    School Board had to make very

    complex and controversial decisions.

    Courtesy busing was discontinued

    and school start times were adjusted

    to increase efficiency and reduce

    transportation costs, 1,900 positions

    have been eliminated over a three-

    year period and administrative staff

    was reduced by 22%.

    The operating budget for fiscal year

    2018/2019 provides for:

    Increase spending in school safety by adding additional

    security staff and hardening of

    our buildings

    Additional resources for mental health

    Increase amounts to participants in the Florida

    Retirement System

    Increase cost in health insurance

    Raise package for instructional and support employee salaries

    10Page 12 of 21

  • General Fund

    The General Fund serves as the

    primary operating fund for the school

    district. It includes all local, state,

    and federal funding, as well as the

    district’s required reserve funding.

    All general tax revenues and other

    receipts that are not allocated by law

    or by contractual agreement to

    another fund are accounted for here.

    Daily operating costs such as

    personnel salaries and benefits,

    transportation, utilities, materials and

    supplies are reflected in this fund.

    Again, the general fund is the daily

    operating fund of the district and

    covers the day to day expenditures. It

    is an estimate of the projected

    operational expenditures for the

    fiscal year.

    The General Fund reflects a projected

    $45,270,864 increase in revenues and

    expenditures over last fiscal year.

    This increase can be attributed

    mainly to legislative mandates to

    enhance the school safety program

    by having a resource officer at every

    school, increase of mental health

    awareness and identification, a rate

    increase in the Florida Retirement

    System program, and a 3% growth

    rate in health insurance.

    The Base Student Allocation (BSA)

    which is set annually by the Florida

    Legislature, increased 47 cents per

    pupil for the fiscal year 2018/2019

    from the previous fiscal year. In prior

    years, the BSA has not kept up with

    student growth or inflation. In

    addition, millage rates levied against

    property values have decreased. This

    loss of funding has made it difficult

    for school districts in Florida to

    continue to meet their obligations. At

    the same time, the district continues

    to provide a high quality education to

    every student in addition to adhering

    to all the state and federal mandates

    that we must follow. Some of these

    requirements extend beyond the

    district’s primary mission of

    education; however, they are vital to

    the district’s role as a valued

    community partner. For example,

    school districts are required to

    provide facilities and staff members

    for shelters in any declared

    emergency. This includes hurricanes,

    tornadoes, flooding, etc. The district

    also manages the community

    volunteer program, the Head Start

    Program and works with other

    governmental entities to ensure

    appropriate community planning.

    11Page 13 of 21

  • The Special Revenue Funds

    The majority of grants or special

    revenue dollars are accounted for in

    a Special Revenue Fund. This fund is

    established to track dollars that must

    be used for a specific purpose. The

    district has 102 grants and receives

    over $230,000,000 (million) dollars in

    revenue annually.

    A few of the major grants include:

    Title I – Part A of the Elementary and

    Secondary Education Act provides

    financial assistance to local education

    agencies and schools with high

    percentages of children from low

    income families to help ensure that

    all of the children meet challenging

    state mandates. The district receives

    approximately $50,067,554 for this

    endeavor.

    The Individuals with Disabilities

    Education Act (IDEA) is legislation

    that helps to make sure that children

    with disabilities are provided with a

    Free Appropriate Public Education

    (FAPE) that is tailored to their

    individual needs. The district receives

    $41,250,945 (million) in IDEA dollars.

    Student Nutrition Services is also

    accounted for in a Special Revenue

    Fund. The district serves over

    125,982,550 (million) breakfasts,

    20,626,041(million) lunches, and

    1,379,296 (million) dinners in one

    fiscal year. Student Nutrition Services

    generates approximately

    $144,850,108 (million) dollars in

    revenue and must be self-sustaining.

    12Page 14 of 21

    pondesuHighlight

  • Debt Service Funds

    The Debt Service Fund was

    established to track the principal and

    interest payments and expenditures

    related to the issuance and

    retirement of debt. Over a ten-year

    period, the district built and opened

    60 schools to accommodate the rapid

    growth in Hillsborough County. Bonds

    were issued to fund this growth.

    Capital Outlay Funds

    The Capital Outlay Fund includes

    dollars for the purchase of land,

    student furniture, classroom

    equipment, and the acquisition or

    construction of education facilities

    and maintenance for these facilities.

    The millage rate which school

    districts can vote and levy against

    property taxes for capital outlay

    decreased from 2 mills to 1.5 mills. In

    addition, State PECO (Public

    Education Capital Outlay) dollars

    have decreased.

    In the next 15 years, our county is

    estimated to need a minimum of 32

    new schools. At the same time, our

    existing schools need repairs and

    maintenance that has been deferred

    due to lack of funding. In order to

    address the situation, the School

    Board of Hillsborough County

    requested and was approved to have

    an amendment added to the

    November 6, 2018 ballot asking

    voters to increase the sales tax

    revenue for our district.

    13Page 15 of 21

  • The taxpayers of Hillsborough County

    approved this referendum which will

    raise the sales tax by half a cent for

    ten years and will generate an

    estimated $131,000,000 per year to

    be used solely for the purpose of

    maintaining and renovating schools,

    increasing technology at school sites,

    and continue enhanced security

    measures. For more information on

    the sales tax referendum please see:

    https://www.hillsboroughschools.org

    PUBLIC EDUCATION CAPITAL OUTLAY BY FISCAL YEAR

    Fiscal Year PECO Maintenance PECO New Construction

    2007-08 $ 15,701,999 $ 14,874,133

    2008-09 $ 9,096,752 $ 7,865,448

    2009-10 $ 3,114,703 -

    2010-11 $ 8,672,645 -

    2011-12 - -

    2012-13 - -

    2013-14 - -

    2014-15 $ 3,831,847 -

    2015-16 $ 3,496,051 -

    2016-17 $ 4,894,472 -

    2017-18 $ 3,436,612 -

    $0

    $2,000,000

    $4,000,000

    $6,000,000

    $8,000,000

    $10,000,000

    $12,000,000

    $14,000,000

    $16,000,000

    $18,000,000

    20

    07

    -08

    20

    08

    -09

    20

    09

    -10

    20

    10

    -11

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    11

    -12

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    12

    -13

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    13

    -14

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    14

    -15

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    -16

    20

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    -17

    20

    17

    -18

    PECO Maintenance

    $0

    $2,000,000

    $4,000,000

    $6,000,000

    $8,000,000

    $10,000,000

    $12,000,000

    $14,000,000

    $16,000,000

    20

    07

    -08

    20

    08

    -09

    20

    09

    -10

    20

    10

    -11

    20

    11

    -12

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    12

    -13

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    13

    -14

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    -15

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    -16

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    -17

    20

    17

    -18

    PECO New Construction

    14Page 16 of 21

    https://www.hillsboroughschools.org/

  • Internal Service Funds

    These funds are used to track any activity that provides goods or services to other

    funds on a cost reimbursement basis. The district maintains a general liability self-

    insurance fund which accounts for the administration of liability and property

    claims, a worker’s compensation self-insurance fund which tracks the collection of

    worker’s compensation funds and expenditures, and a health insurance fund

    which records the collection of premiums and disbursement of payments.

    15Page 17 of 21

  • BUDGET FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    What is the Budget review audit process?

    The budget of the school district goes through various review processes during

    the fiscal year. The budget is Board approved beginning with the original budget

    in September. Monthly amendments are submitted and must be approved by the

    Board to account for any adjustments. By Florida statute, the original budget is

    submitted to the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) electronically. The

    FLDOE has edits in place to ensure that the budget matches the dollars it has

    allocated to each district. If there are any discrepancies, an error message is

    generated and the district must either correct the error or explain the reason for

    the discrepancy.

    Our budget is audited during the same time as our financial accounts. The

    auditors verify that the revenue recorded in the school district ledgers balance to

    what the state and federal government report they have provided us in the

    period from July 1 to June 30. These numbers must agree to the budget numbers

    reported in the financial reports. See the link below to access this information.

    (https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/list/accounting-services/documents-forms/11-

    49/)

    What is the Base Student Allocation (BSA)?

    The BSA is the amount of dollars allocated by the Florida State Legislature as a

    base funding amount for all full time students in the State of Florida.

    How can we match up school district revenue budgets to federal government

    budgets for the school district in the same fiscal year?

    The fiscal year for Florida School Districts and the State of Florida begins July 1

    and ends June 30th. The fiscal year for the federal government runs from October

    1 through September 30th. Any dollars received by the school district during the

    months of July through September would be reflected in our fiscal year

    2018/2019 for the school district and in fiscal year 2017/2018 for the federal

    government.

    16Page 18 of 21

    https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/list/accounting-services/documents-forms/11-49/https://www.sdhc.k12.fl.us/doc/list/accounting-services/documents-forms/11-49/

  • Where are the lottery dollars allocated in the budget?

    The school district does receive discretionary lottery dollars. However, the

    majority of the lottery dollars are allocated for Bright Future Scholarships and

    “School Recognition” funds. The school recognition dollars are allocated to

    schools that improve one letter grade or receive an “A” for their school grade. The

    school then votes on how they want to spend the dollars. The majority of schools

    vote to use the lottery dollars to pay the teachers and site staff bonuses.

    For more information on lottery dollars and education please see the line below:

    www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/Lotbook.pdf

    How are the schools supply budgets allocated?

    The school supply budget dollars are allocated 50% in the spring for the upcoming

    fiscal year based on projected student enrollments and using School Board

    approved student supply rates. On the 20th day student count of the new school

    year, the enrollment projections are “trued-up” and budgets adjusted for the

    actual number of students at each school. In January, the additional 50% are

    allocated plus or minus any adjustments from the 20th day count student count.

    Why doesn’t my school have classroom, student or building supplies?

    All schools are allocated equitably for supplies based on student enrollments

    using School Board approved supply rates. Dollars are allocated for specific

    categories such as: custodial supplies (paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning

    supplies), teaching supplies, Exceptional Student Education forms, periodicals, art

    supplies, science supplies, sixth-grade specials (wheel), and career and technical

    supplies. However, it is up to the school administration to allocate those dollars

    within their school.

    17Page 19 of 21

    http://www.fldoe.org/core/fileparse.php/7507/urlt/Lotbook.pdf

  • SCHOOL PROPERTY TAX FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    What is the difference between market value, assessed value and taxable

    value?

    All property in Hillsborough County is appraised by the Hillsborough County

    Property Appraiser. The school district does not set any of the values for

    property. The market value is the probable price your house can sell for in

    the open market. Assessed value may be lower than market value if your

    property is subject to the “Save Our Homes” Amendment or the Non-

    Homestead Cap. Taxable value is the assessed value minus any exemptions.

    Why is the assessed value higher on my tax bill for school taxes than any

    other taxing authority?

    If you are subject to the non-homestead cap your assessed value can only

    increase by 10% for all taxing authorities except school district taxes. School

    districts are exempt by law from the 10% cap. Therefore, if you have a non-

    homestead property that has increased more than 10% in value, the

    assessed value may be the market value for school tax purposes. See “Save

    Our Homes” Amendment 10 to the Florida Constitution.

    Why is the homestead exemption for school taxes only $25,000 when it is

    $50,000 for all other taxing entities?

    School Districts in Florida are exempt from the additional $25,000

    exemption. See “Save Our Homes” Amendment 10 to the Florida

    Constitution.

    “Every person who owns and resides on real property in Florida on January 1 and makes the property his or her permanent residence is eligible to receive a homestead exemption up to $50,000. The first $25,000 applies to all property taxes, including school district taxes. The additional exemption up to $25,000, applies to the assessed value between $50,000 and $75,000 and only to non-school taxes.“

    http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/property/taxpayers/exemptions.html

    18Page 20 of 21

  • Please see the Department of Revenue’s website for additional information. http://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers_Exemptions.aspx

    Why do I have to pay school taxes if I do not have any children in school?

    There are no exemptions in Florida for property owners that do not

    have children in a Florida public school. Property tax law can be found in

    Florida Statute 196.031.

    Can the district lower my tax bill for school taxes?

    School districts do not have the authority to change or decrease a

    homeowner’s tax bill. The School District must levy the millage prescribed

    by Florida Department of Education in order to receive Florida Education

    Finance Program (FEFP) dollars.

    Why is there a State School Tax and a Local School Tax and what happens

    to the dollars collected by each?

    The state school tax portion of your tax bill is the amount that is dictated by

    the Florida Legislature for the district to levy in order to participate in the

    Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP). As the dollars are collected and

    remitted to the state, the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE)

    redistributes the dollars based on FTE or actual students in the district. The

    greater the number of FTE in a district, the greater the amount received

    from the FEFP. This is how the dollars are equalized for school districts

    across the state. This year the district will raise $415,700,836 (million) in

    state property taxes.

    The local portion of the school property tax is remitted directly to the

    school district. A portion of the revenue dollars generated will be used to

    pay for projects in the School Board Approved Five-Year Capital Outlay

    Plan. This year the district will raise $74,638,557 in local property taxes that

    will go the capital fund.

    19Page 21 of 21

    http://floridarevenue.com/property/Pages/Taxpayers_Exemptions.aspx

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