With the half-penny tax set to expire, HCPS is making its case to voters at town halls this month.
Seven years ago, Hillsborough County voters approved an extra half-penny sales tax to help the school district repair and improve aging campuses.
This November, via Referendum 3, they will decide whether to extend it for another 10 years beginning Jan. 1, 2029.
At a town hall Tuesday night at Newsome High School, Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS) officials made their case for extending the tax, pointing to more than 1,000 completed projects and approximately $1.5 billion in revenue generated since 2018, money that by law can only go toward buildings and equipment, not teacher pay or day-to-day operations.
Roofs, air conditioning units, security systems and athletic fields have been the biggest beneficiaries, along with more than $800 million in contracts awarded to local businesses.
The half-penny tax costs the average taxpayer about $86 a year, district officials said. Approximately 25% of the revenue comes from tourists who spend money in Hillsborough County. Staple food items and prescriptions are exempt from the tax. Large purchases are only taxed on the first $5,000 spent.
In Plant City, the money has helped fund improvements at schools including Plant City High School and Tomlin Middle School.
Plant City High received new roofing, one of 36 schools countywide where crews have replaced or patched roofs covering nearly 29 million square feet, a $74 million slice of the overall tax revenue. Tomlin Middle School received a bigger overhaul: more than $25 million for a new roof, insulation, floor and window repairs, an HVAC replacement and a gutted-and-rebuilt gymnasium.
Tametha Simmons, principal of Bryan Elementary School, said the half-penny sales tax has funded new air conditioning, outdoor fencing, car-line awnings and repainted perimeter doors. The school’s brick facade was also refaced as it celebrates its 100th anniversary.
The funding will also provide a digital marquee, which Simmons said will help the school promote student events and community programs, like its monthly food bank.
“The improvements are meaningful,” Simmons said. “Our kids are now able to come to a 100-year-old school that’s been updated, with a working a/c, and that promotes an ideal learning environment.”
The district’s presentation Tuesday highlighted HVAC replacements as its largest category of completed projects, with more than 177 completed.
More than 60 roof replacement projects have been completed, with 10 more planned.
Other projects include more than 138 athletic facility upgrades, 144 playground improvements, 208 safety projects and 252 facility renovations involving areas such as cafeterias and media centers.
The district emphasized the tax isn’t a blank check for unchecked spending.
The Citizen Oversight Committee, an independent group made up of community leaders, receives information about vendors and proposed contracts and meets monthly to review projects. Officials said meetings are recorded and available online.
“Transparency was one of the most important things we could do,” said Chris Farkas, deputy superintendent of operations. “Every dollar is verifiable.”
District officials said the need remains significant. School Board member Patty Rendon, who attended the meeting, said she isn’t generally in favor of new taxes but believes the district still has significant infrastructure and safety needs. “About 20 percent of the district’s schools are between 90 and 100 years old,” she said.
Rendon also pointed to security needs, including keyless entry systems that allow schools to keep doors locked while providing controlled access to students and staff.
The district said renewing the tax would allow it to continue addressing those needs without a gap in funding. Because major projects can take two to three years to plan, district officials said a renewal approved this November would allow work to continue after the current tax expires in 2028.
Additional town halls are scheduled for Sept. 29 at Gaither High School and Oct. 1 at Hillsborough High School. A virtual town hall will be held Wed., Oct. 15 at 6:00 p.m. Whether attendance and turnout at those sessions translate into votes remains to be seen.
The current tax expires in 2028. Voters will decide in November whether the half-penny sales tax continues for another decade.
