Jacob Ogles
The campaign is on to renew Sarasota County’s school property tax.
Better Schools for Sarasota County launched its 2024 campaign with a video promoting the district. The nearly two-minute video shows school children starting the year mixed with aerial footage panning over some of the county’s most prominent campuses.
“It’s no secret that Sarasota County ranks among the very top school districts in Florida,” a narrator states. “This is due in no small part to the support of a community that helps elevate our students and teachers, giving them the tools they need to achieve and prosper.”
Sarasota County has maintained an A grade for 21 years with the state.
The video marks the official launch of a campaign to renew the tax, which first won approval on the ballot in 2002 and has been renewed in subsequent elections since.
“Supporting our public schools through the continuation of the referendum is the most powerful way a community can demonstrate its commitment to the next generation,” said Jennifer Vigne, Chairwoman of Better Schools for Sarasota County and President and CEO of the Education Foundation of Sarasota County. “It is the cornerstone of a strong community when we all come together to ensure that every child has the opportunity to grow, succeed and contribute to a brighter tomorrow.”
The tax was last renewed in 2022, with 84% of the vote in a Special Election. A new law passed by the Florida Legislature requires renewal to pass in General Election votes, so voters will consider the matter now on a November ballot for the first time.
The campaign has stressed the measure would only extend an existing tax, not hike the rate or implement a new tax. An Independent Financial Advisory Committee oversees use of the generated revenue.
Better Schools boasts a bipartisan campaign committee including Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman, North Port Area Chamber of Commerce President Sharon Matthews and former president of the Sarasota Classified Teachers Association Pat Gardner.
