ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — In November, voters in St. Johns County will see two items on their ballots dealing with tax money and schools.
"St. Johns County is becoming a much bigger system," St. Johns County School Superintendent Tim Forson told First Coast News.
St. Johns County’s schools are trying to keep up with the constant population growth in its borders.
More homes equals more students and the need for more schools.
One question on the ballot will ask voters if they want to continue a half cent sales tax. It will go toward building new schools, maintenance, and technology.
"We expect to grow over 13,000 students in the next ten years," Forson said.
He estimates that ten to twelve new schools will be needed in that time period.
Voters approved the half-cent sales tax in 2015, and it’s up for a vote that will continue it for ten years.
"We’ve built two schools from it in the last ten years," Forson said, "and it partially paid for the construction of two others."
The second question on the ballot regarding schools and taxes in St. Johns County will ask voters if they want to an increase in property taxes by increasing the millage rate by one mil. That money would go mostly toward increasing staff and teacher salaries.
Forson said that money will help teachers be able to afford to live in the county where they teach.
"St. Johns County has the highest cost of living in the region. And so even today for a new teacher or a new employee to to come in to work in our system, they have difficulty finding housing that's affordable for them," Forson said. "And so it’s important for us to try to pay salaries that are fair to them in this community."
Forson added that all the money raised by these two tax proposals on the ballot would stay in St. Johns County.