LARGO – Pinellas County property owners pay a little extra in ad-valorem taxes to supplement the school district’s budget. The money pays for a variety of needs to enhance quality of education.
In 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, voters said yes to a referendum question to increase property taxes by one-half mill to pay for necessary school operating expenses. The money pays to recruit and retain teachers. It also pays to supplement reading programs. It provides funds to enhance music and art programs, and it allows the district to buy up-to-date materials and technology.
The Independent Citizens Referendum Oversight Committee monitors how the District spends the money. It reviews quarterly expenditure reports that include details about purchases in each of the program areas: teacher compensation, reading, visual arts, performing arts and technology.
Committee Chairman Mike Meidel, who also is director of the county’s Economic Development department, presented a report on the annual review to the school board Jan. 16. The report shows how well the District is following the intent of the referendum guidelines that govern how the money should be spent.
In 2016-2017, taxes collected per the referendum provided the District with an additional $30.1 million to spend in the program areas. Meidel said 80 percent went toward teacher’s salaries. Thanks to referendum dollars, $3,800 per teacher is available over the base salary, he said. The other 20 percent was spent on visual arts, performing arts, digital learning, elementary reading and language arts, and secondary reading.
Visual arts
Some examples of how the money enhances education in the visual arts department include buying art equipment or furniture for 26 schools. Eighteen schools received color printers, 19 visual arts teachers received a laptop computer, 15 teachers received iPads and 17 received a camera, tripod and light kits.
One high school visual arts classroom got a computer lab, five middle school classrooms received a 40-unit iPad lab for visual arts and seven elementary schools received a 30-unit iPad lab. In addition, two elementary traveling 30-unit iPad labs were purchased for use throughout the District.
The money paid for 159 field trips attended by 10,972 students to local art museums and galleries. Seven digital arts camps were attended by 219 students in grades four-eight with 30 teachers providing instruction in a variety of visual arts media.
Sixty-three of the District’s visual arts students were able to attend the Florida Art Education Association conference, 14 high school teacher attended Advanced Placement Art Studio training and 18 training sessions for teachers provided 135 hours of professional development.
Performing arts
Examples of how referendum funding helps performing arts are numerous. The money purchased musical instruments, equipment and supplies for 66 elementary classrooms, and 72 secondary schools received funds for music, supplies, equipment, accompanists and other support.
Fifty-six elementary teachers and 75 secondary school teachers were able to attend Florida Music Associations professional development training and 16 attended training from the Florida Association of Theatre Educators.
Thanks to taxpayer’s generosity, a second middle school all-county honor band received support. Two schools were able to order new band uniforms and two more are in the process. All high school band programs have money to pay for auxiliary staff.
Musical instruments are expensive to buy or rent. Referendum money provides for an instrument program that allows rental fees to be waived for students on free of reduced lunch program.
A choral instructor shared by Bay Pointe Middle School and Lakewood High School and a part-time choral position at Morgan Fitzgerald is paid from money made possible by the referendum.
The Committee’s report points out that an initiative to rebuild the strings program that was cut in the early 1990s is working with programs in place at 38 schools. Referendum money pays for guitar programs in middle and high schools.
Digital learning
The long-term goal for money allocated for digital learning is to provide every classroom and teacher with interactive technologies. Toward that goal, 471 SMART Boards or interactive projectors were installed at 49 schools during the 2016-2017 school year. Meidel said the plan is to equip all schools with a SMART Board as soon as possible to enhance digital learning.
Technology is constantly changing, so the District developed a multi-year plan for updates in all classrooms. An advisory team reviews technology referendum projects at least once a year. Other technology projects include implementation of Microsoft Office 365 tools and other interactive applications. Teachers are given access to professional development by the Digital Learning team.
Elementary reading and language arts
Referendum funds for elementary reading supplemented literacy instruction in all 77 elementary schools as well as exceptional education schools. Teachers received reading materials designed to enhance reading skills. Funding targeted the District’s youngest readers, kindergarten through second grade. All schools received literacy materials based on enrollment and individual need. Teachers received professional development opportunities, including literacy coaches and a teacher from each school attending Poynter Institute’s Language Arts Florida Standards Summer Institute.
Secondary school reading
Taxpayers’ money supported teachers and students with Language Arts Florida Standards-inspired education, according to the Committee’s report. Referendum funds provided reading classrooms with materials that would not otherwise be available, including instructional software, grade-level fiction and non-fiction texts, novels and magazines. Schools received a fixed-dollar amount of money based on school-size to address literacy needs based on their School Improvement Plan, allowing them to buy needed technology as well as updating classroom libraries. Professional development for teachers also is provided by referendum funds.
School Board Chairwoman Rene Flowers said referendum funding was an “amazing program” that allowed the District to do more, especially in the music department. School Board member Linda Lerner agreed, saying she has visited the schools and sees evidence of what the extra money is able to provide.
“It is part of our success for sure,” Lerner said.
School Board Vice-Chairwoman thanked the citizens for their support.
“They understand the need for good education,” she said.
For more information, visit www.pcsb.org/referendum.
Suzette Porter is TBN’s Pinellas County editor. She can be reached at webmaster@tbnweekly.com.
