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St. Johns County school board approves half-cent sales tax increase

By Samantha Manning
By Samantha Manning

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Johns County School Board voted during a special meeting Tuesday night to approve a resolution to put a half-cent sales tax increase on the November ballot.

Supporters of the sales tax increase said it’s needed to keep up with the major population growth in the county.

School leaders said the student population growth has grown 44 percent over the last 10 years.

The effects of that population growth are visible at schools like Patriot Oaks Academy.

The school has only been open one year and it already needs portable classrooms to accommodate all the students.

“Our critical need is having seats for our children,” school board chair Beverly Slough said.

Slough said St. Johns County has ranked No. 1 in education in the state the last six years and believes the proposed sales tax increase will help maintain that success.

“That’s the draw and the magnet that brings families here, but we have got to provide the facilities to keep the great things we’re doing for kids in place,” Slough said.

The current sales tax rate is 6 percent and the proposal looks to raise it a half-cent.

Slough said the money would be used for renovation and construction projects as well as safety improvements and technology upgrades.

Mary Mittelstadt has one grandchild in the school district and another one who is joining next year and she said she believes the district needs more money to keep up with its students.

“I feel it’s necessary because we’ve been doing a great job of educating children in this county and they want us to continue that but I don’t know how we’re going to do that if we don’t have enough money to build more schools,” Mittelstadt said.

Now that the school board passes the proposal, it will move on to County Commission for approval before going to voters.

WJAX

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