JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Recruiting and retaining teachers is a top priority for Duval County Schools Superintendent Dr. Diana Greene, but she says she needs the money to entice them to come here and stay.
"As superintendent, I can only educate our community about the need," Greene told First Coast News.
That need, she explains, is felt in the classroom, where the district is short about 400 teachers.
Dr. Greene wants to offer competitive pay. To do that, she's looking at the possibility of a property tax increase, which she says could bring the district an additional $82 million dollars each year for the next four years.
"We are seeing a national teacher shortage and we are not seeing that shortage decreasing anytime soon," Greene said.
Right now, the millage rate for DCPS is 5.808, which means homeowners are taxed about $5.80 for every $1,000 in their home's assessed value. Dr. Greene is proposing to increase that to 6.808.
Some of the money expected to be generated from the increase each year would go to arts and athletics programs. The vocal director at the LaVilla School of the Arts says it's music to his ears.
"All of the arts departments, and across the board in the athletics, were pretty decimated by the pandemic," said Shawn Pendry.
He says beyond supplies and the upkeep of instruments is the need for what he calls 'human capital" - artistic directors to help with choreography or concerts - to collaborate with students and teach master classes.
"Best case situation would be someone says, 'Here's the money that we have for your school,' and allow the administration to work with the arts departments on what we actually need on the ground," Pendry said.
If approved by the school board and then the city council, it would be up to the voters to decide.
School board members are planning to discuss the increase at Tuesday night's school board meeting.