LIVE: Full Election Results
A day after the primary election, Hillsborough County School leaders are watching and waiting as a recount is possible on a millage referendum to support local schools.
As of Wednesday evening, the unofficial result totals were 110,961 votes to reject the referendum and 110,342 votes to pass the referendum, a difference of 619 votes, according to the results on the Hillsborough County Elections website.
Hillsborough County election officials said a machine recount would be triggered if the difference is 0.5% or less.
The referendum would allocate more funds to Hillsborough County schools through a one mil increase, and property owners would have paid $1 for every $1,000 in assessed value. The district planned to use the additional dollars to raise staff salaries and fund programs.
On Wednesday, Superintendent Addison Davis discussed the results.
"We still continue to move forward. We go back to work. We continue to be champions for our teachers, champions for our support staff, champions for our school-based leaders and district leaders, and most importantly, champions for students," said Davis.
If it is approved, the district explained that the increase would've ended in four years unless renewed by voters.
According to the district, the projected $146 million would have been used explicitly in the following manner:
- At least 75% of the district share of funds would be used to increase compensation for instructional positions (teachers, counselors, media specialists, etc.), bus drivers and transportation assistants, classroom assistants, and other non-instructional support staff.
- This could enhance the average instructional salary by $4,000 and the average non-instructional salary by $2,000.
- About 20% of the district's share of funds would be used to protect and expand art, music, PE, and workforce education as follows:
- Add 45 art teachers, 67 music teachers, and 37 PE teachers to Elementary schools to ensure all grade levels, including Kindergarten, receive exceptional learning experiences.
- Dedicate funds to repairing and replacing art supplies, art equipment, music instruments, band uniforms, audio/visual equipment, expanding health courses in middle school, and PE equipment.
- Dedicate funds to expanding workforce education programs.
“If this doesn’t come out in the way we aspire it to come out, this community will see us again and see me again in 2024, and that just gives us sufficient time to openly engage the community, prove confidence, prove financial stability," said Davis.
Hillsborough residents may remember a similar proposal that was approved in 2018. It increased the sales tax with a promise to repair schools and pave the way for other improvements.
Critics to the proposal pointed out the challenges families face right now due to inflation and that other options should be exhausted first.
“It really puts us in a competitive disadvantage with the districts around us," said Rob Kriete, the President of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.
Kriete spent 24 years in the classroom, and he recognizes the challenges this proposal failing could mean in the days ahead.
“People don’t get into this field for the income. They’re in it for the outcomes, but the reality of it is if you can get a better income at a district just north, south, or west of us, they’re going to do that, and we understand that," said Kriete.
The Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections shared unofficial results Tuesday evening, but officials explained they do not include provisional ballots or ballots with signature issues that may be cured. They said those results will be added at the Canvassing Board meeting scheduled for August 25 at 5 p.m., and the unofficial results will be certified.
As for what's next, election officials said at that meeting, the Canvassing Board will order a machine recount if any race or issue would be defeated by .5% or less of the total votes cast. After that, a manual recount must be ordered if the second set of unofficial results shows that a candidate or issue was defeated by .25% or less of the votes cast.
Official results will be certified no later than Tuesday, August 30.
Hillsborough County Results from Other Races
