Superintendent Rocky Hanna announced on May 2, 2022, that he is considering a hike in property taxes in order to raise veteran teacher salaries.
Ongoing discussions between the Leon County School administrators and the Leon Classroom Teachers Association have attempted to address the lack of salary increases for veteran teachers. In many cases, veteran teachers with decades of experience make no more than new teachers just beginning their careers.
“Public education in Leon County is important,” Hanna said. “And if the state isn’t going to help us, then we need to take matters into our own hands.” Hanna conveyed he is worried about the future of public schools.
According to the district, the predicament Leon County currently faces regarding wages results from the state’s 80-20 rule. The rule requires that 80% of state funding be applied to beginning teachers’ pay, and only 20% goes to veteran teachers.
Florida ranks 16th in the nation regarding starting teachers’ salaries. However, the state ranks 48th in overall teacher wages.
Hanna says the next step is to discuss the possibility of raising property taxes with the county’s school board. He spoke of a potential half-millage property tax increase, which would net around $10 million for Leon County Schools each year. The increase would mean homeowners would pay 50 cents more in taxes for every $1000 their property is valued—for example, for a $200,000 property value, the increase would be about $100 more.
According to Floridapolitics.com, Duval county is pursuing a tax increase and is set to vote on a similar plan this year. Likewise, other counties, including Broward and Miami-Dade, already have a similar tax increase to boost teacher salaries.
Superintendent Hanna Considers Increase in Property Taxes added by Lynsey Kirk on
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Why is it the first thing these people think of when they think they don’t have enough money is raising taxes? Maybe Superintendent Hanna should look at where he is currently wasting taxpayer dollars. How many administrators is the system carrying and how many of them make over $100,000? How about loosing about half of the useless administrators, cutting the salaries of those left by 40% and he can also cut his salary by 50% and still be very well off. Now take a look at the union, how much does that cost taxpayers? Step 1, let those in the union pay their own dues, that way the state doesn’t have the expense of keeping track of that and calculating the payroll deductions.
In my house, if there isn’t enough money to go around, I have to cut expenses to make it government needs to start living by that philosophy.
I keep getting censored…may be my flowery word choice.
Ramon Alexander actions are beyond immoral. And if other like-minded LGBTGTu2’s find his behavior acceptable, you can only imagine what that group wants to teach 5- year olds.
To Rocko and the School board, I say, cut the fat and do not raise taxes. Only a Democrat would raise taxes during a recession.
Rep. Ramon Alexander needs to resign immediately. His behavior is so perverse he has no credibility and I would think he has no one in support of his actions.
What a mentor Andrew Gillum was to Ramon Alexander.
Let’s not forget more of the same with County Commissioner Nick Maddox at the Boys & Girls Club..
The only thing they are building back better is the Republican Party.
Teachers don’t deserve a penny extra until they turn on the union which protects even teachers that have had entire classes fail. Pay for performance or no pay raise at all.
To stop excessive taxation, vote conservatives into office.
@ Maven:
Good scoop on that Ramone Alexander breaking news. I refuse to become a subscriber to The Democrat and the article is for subscribers only. However I did see the headline regarding sexting and harrassment…so I put Mr. Google to work…and low and behold find out Alexander was once an aid to The Mayor of Tallahassee…yeah you guessed it already the Mayor was Andrew Gillium.
I dont need to read the Democrat article anymore. I think thats all anyone needs to determine whatever Alexander is accused of is very likely preverse and disgusting.
I am FED UP with TAXahassee and the socialistic wingnuts who run it. And no, Crocky, you don’t have access to my purse. Gas up, mortgages up, food up, interest rates up. Only thing going down are our 401Ks. How much more pain must we endure, before you folks that voted for these mismanaging clowns wake up?
Meanwhile, that’s quite a bombshell story on our Rep. Ramon Alexander, yikes.
Rocky’s tax is going to hit African American home and property owners the hardest and therefor is raciest, in the Old School Democrat ran Southern Jim Crow laws style of raciest, from which the Democratic party has it’s roots..
Someone call Rocky’s home and ask his wife if he has a KKK hood in the closet.
The Reverends in local AA Churches are going to have to work extra hard to bring in the Democrat votes this time around.
No amount of “more money” is going to ever improve Rocky’s $hit show record of performance he has delivered to the voters year after year.
My Property Taxes have already gone up, almost Double what it was, for the CSC which has yet to show anything that it is doing, if anything at all, so, with that said, You caused the financial problems you have, FIX IT with what you have.
I don’t want to pay additional property taxes for the traditional public school system. Only half of the students can read at grade level. The students are being indoctrinated with Marxist ideology and some of the teachers are LGBT groomers.
Education should be privatized; make schools compete. Give parents vouchers for the schools or school program of their choice. My child, my choice.
What a fantastic idea, to worsen already excessive extortion while school personnel are under-performing & behaving badly, while job markets & energy industry are intentionally broken, while federal mal-spending & over-spending drive severe currency debasement & price inflation, while incomes are falling further behind prices, while crime soars, while invasion & international crime are encouraged by the continually-oath-breaking Obummer-BiteMe-Harass regime as they violate inherent & constitutional rights & refuse to defend the USA & obstinately refuse to faithfully enforce constitutional laws. Garnish on the poo-pie. Just brilliant. (sarcasm off)
A couple of points to consider here… if I may.
Stupidintendent Hanna isn’t interested in teachers or their salaries. He’s playing politics by blaming “the State” instead of his own administration’s mismanagement and malfeasance. Teacher salaries are a local budget item/issue. The Leon County Fool Board and their Stupidintendent have always had the power and authority to manage their local labor costs… and on that note…
Property values have steadily increased over the past few years, thus, taxable values have increased commensurate with that market – thus – property tax revenue into the Fool Board has also increased commensurate with that market. Toss in the savings in operating costs and bussing as a result of the China Bio-Weapon Flu Scamdemic, and someone needs to account for those dollars before demanding taxpayers pony-up more of their hard-earned dollars to support a failing Fool system and its leaders.
… just my thoughts…. do with it what you will.
I removed my child from Leon County public school and am paying for private school because of its many failures for my student. I do not support paying twice by raised property taxes for the continuous failures!
“And if the state isn’t going to help us, then we need to take matters into our own hands.”
Maybe if you weren’t a liberal fruit loop with an agenda, the State would help!