Pinellas County voters will decide in November whether they want to double the local-option property tax that supports school teacher salaries and arts programs.
The increase to $1 per $1,000 of assessed value would allow the district and charter schools to boost each teacher’s annual pay by just over $11,000 a year, while for the first time offering support employees an additional $2,910 a year. It also would provide expanded funding for arts field trips, early literacy initiatives and classroom technology, among other permitted expenses.
If the referendum fails, the added revenue it generates — about $60 million last year — would end along with the things it pays for, district officials said.