The Broward County School Board discussed a proposed tax referendum for the November ballot that would increase taxes to fund teacher pay raises, with union leaders pushing for immediate action amid significant staffing shortages. Teachers’ union head Anna Fusco advocated for the funding during Tuesday’s board meeting, emphasizing the urgent need for better compensation. “Budget better,” Fusco said. “Budget properly.”
The district currently employs 12,600 teachers, down from 13,700 at the start of the school year in July, representing a loss of more than 1,100 educators. “(We have) 12,600 teachers now,” Fusco said. “We started in July with 13,700. Do the math.” The significant staffing reduction has intensified discussions about compensation improvements to retain and attract qualified teachers to the district.
Board members expressed unanimous agreement that teachers deserve better compensation but disagreed on how to allocate potential referendum funds. Board member Debbi Hixon praised the discussion’s progress in revealing member positions on the issue. “I think it was a great conversation to see where all the board members sat,” Hixon said. “Ultimately, I think the discussion was (that) we need some more information.”
The board remains divided on fund allocation, with some members advocating for dedicating all referendum money exclusively to staff raises while others propose a 75-25 split. Under the alternative proposal, 75% would fund raises while the remaining 25% would support services including mental health programs and school safety initiatives. Board member Allen Zeman supported using community-generated funds specifically for educator compensation while relying on state and federal dollars for other programs.
“There are those of us that really want to pay school-based educators with the money that comes from the community and use state and federal dollars to do the things that we want to fund forever,” Zeman said. Fusco countered arguments that staff pay raises would necessitate cuts to other vital services, maintaining that adequate compensation and essential services can coexist within the district’s budget framework.
The referendum proposal has not yet received final board approval and would require voter approval if placed on the November ballot. Hixon emphasized the critical importance of community support for any potential referendum. “It’s really important, though, for our community to know how important passing this referendum is,” Hixon said. “That it is for our teachers, it is for our staff that directly impact our students.”
District leaders are actively seeking additional community input and feedback before making final decisions on the referendum’s structure and ballot placement. The board has scheduled continued discussion of the tax referendum proposal for their next meeting on April 21, where members will review community feedback and potentially vote on whether to proceed with placing the measure before Broward County voters in November.