Pasco Voters to Decide Fate of $60 Million School Tax That Funds Teacher Pay

Pasco County voters will decide on November 3, 2026 whether to renew a one-mill property tax that pumps about $60 million a year into teacher and staff paychecks across the school district. The School Board is asking for a straight renewal of the same rate voters first approved in 2022, not a new or additional tax. If it fails, district officials say employee pay would drop by roughly 12% districtwide, with no other funding source available to cover the gap.

For homeowners, the math stays the same as it has been for the past four years. One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of a property's assessed value. A home assessed at $200,000 pays about $200 a year, and that bill only rises if the home's assessed value goes up, not because of anything the referendum itself does.

Money from the referendum goes almost entirely to people, not buildings. It supplements pay for teachers, bus drivers, instructional assistants, custodians, food service workers and other school support staff, plus a smaller portion for school safety personnel. State law caps any renewal at four years, meaning this vote would carry the tax through 2030 before Pasco has to ask again.

What's riding on a "no"

District leaders have been blunt with local governments about the stakes. In a presentation to the New Port Richey City Council this summer, a district official described the referendum as roughly a $67 million line item in the current budget and told council members that without it, "our teachers will get a 12% pay cut." The same presentation credited the referendum with helping close staffing gaps that had plagued the district since before the 2022 vote.

Those numbers track improvement since the referendum first took effect, though the district says openings remain in harder-to-fill areas like special education. Pay is consistently the top reason teachers cite for leaving, according to the district, and losing referendum funding would put Pasco at a disadvantage against every county that touches it.

Hernando, Hillsborough and Pinellas counties have all passed or renewed similar salary referenda, most recently in 2024. Pinellas has run one for years and expanded it in 2024 to cover non-instructional staff as well. Polk County will ask its own voters for a referendum for the first time this November. That leaves Pasco looking at a labor market where nearly every neighboring district already offers a pay supplement Pasco's own teachers would lose without a "yes" vote.

Not the same as Penny for Pasco

District officials have been fielding a recurring question: how is this different from Penny for Pasco, the separate sales tax renewed in 2022 that is shared with county and city governments? By law, Penny for Pasco dollars can only go toward capital projects, building new schools, renovating old ones, and similar construction. They cannot legally be spent on salaries or safety staff. The one-mill referendum on this November's ballot is entirely separate and funds operating costs, chiefly pay.

The district also points to academic gains it says have coincided with the referendum era. Pasco earned an A rating from the state for the first time since 2008 and currently has no schools rated D or F for the first time since 2004, according to the district. Officials have also said raises averaging 3% a year have gone out on top of referendum funding since 2022, though they acknowledge Pasco still lags some neighboring districts in certain job categories.

Who's watching the money

A citizen Salary Referendum Oversight Committee, created when the original referendum passed in 2022, reviews the district's budget and allowable spending under the measure and issues an annual report to the School Board and the public. That committee would continue if voters renew the tax this fall, with its minutes and financial reports posted on the district's referendum page.

The district has an AA credit rating and has received a national finance reporting award, points it has raised in response to questions about accountability. What it has not settled is the outcome of the vote itself. Ballots go out and polls open statewide on November 3, 2026, and Pasco's School Board has said community outreach on the renewal will continue in the months leading up to Election Day. Residents with questions can review the district's full FAQ page on its 2026 referendum website.

Want to weigh in on how this could affect local schools and your property tax bill? Join the conversation in our Community Forum, and find more education stories and government and politics coverage on the Pasco County Community Website. You can also follow us on Facebook or visit us at pascocommunity.com for continuing coverage as the November vote approaches.