Miami-Dade voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a school property tax that funds teacher salary supplements and campus security. The levy supports every district school, including Miami Beach Senior High, Nautilus Middle and Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center.

The Miami-Dade County School Board voted 9-0 to place the Secure Our Future referendum on the ballot, Diario las Américas first reported. The measure, ballot item No. 268, asks voters to renew the existing one-mill property tax for four more years. It does not create a new tax or raise the rate.

The levy charges $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The district estimates a typical homeowner would pay less than $316 a year. The Miami Herald reported that a homeowner at the county's median taxable value of $177,141 would pay about $177 annually.

The current tax expires June 30, 2027. If approved, the renewal would run from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031.

Where the money goes

The tax generates about $569.5 million a year, according to district estimates cited by the Herald. Under the current program, 88% of that revenue pays salary supplements for teachers and instructional staff, and the remaining 12% funds school safety and security personnel. About 72.6% of referendum dollars go to traditional public schools, with the rest going to charter schools, the Herald reported.

Political Cortadito reported that the supplements total roughly $10,000 to $12,000 a year for many educators.

United Teachers of Dade President Antonio White called the tax essential at a Sept. 15 news conference. "This referendum is not a luxury or an extra. It is actually the heartbeat that keeps this district running," White said.

Board support shifts amid budget cuts

The unanimous vote marks a change from 2022, when the Miami-Dade Republican Party urged voters to reject the measure. School board members Roberto Alonso and Monica Colucci opposed the referendum as candidates that year. Both won their seats, and both voted this year to put the renewal on the ballot.

Voters approved the 2022 referendum with 65.15% support, according to certified results on Ballotpedia. The tax first passed in 2018 at 0.75 mills and rose to one mill in 2022.

Miami-Dade County Commissioner René Garcia said at the Sept. 15 event that he supports giving voters the choice despite his own distaste for taxes.

The vote comes as Miami-Dade County Public Schools operates on a budget of about $7.4 billion, more than 3% smaller than last year's, the Herald reported. Traditional public schools started the year with 15,100 fewer students than the year before.

The district says that without the renewal, it would lose funding for salary supplements that count toward teacher retirement and for law enforcement officers stationed in schools during the day.

Town halls scheduled before Nov. 3 vote

Superintendent Rafael Villalobos is holding nine town hall meetings across the county through Oct. 15 to explain the proposal. Miami Beach Senior High hosted one Sept. 22. Ruth K. Broad Bay Harbor K-8 Center and Miami Beach Senior High have posted referendum details and remaining town hall dates on their websites.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.