MARION COUNTY, Fla. – Leaders with Marion County Public Schools are celebrating the approval of a half-cent sales tax to fund school construction and repairs.
During a meeting on Thursday, the school board gave the community a standing ovation for passing the measure by a vote of 59%.
In addition to funding building costs, the referendum also called for retention of high-quality teachers and to reduce classroom overcrowding.
[RELATED: Find Marion County election results for Nov. 5, 2024]
School Board Chair Nancy Thrower praised the community’s support of the public school system.
“I couldn’t smile widely enough. It was just so exciting and such a relief and we’re so grateful to the community for recognizing the need and really supporting it,” Thrower said.
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Earlier this year, News 6 discovered 80% of Marion County Public Schools’ maintenance requests are not fixed because the district does not have the $839 million it needs to complete them.
“There’s only so much money that we get to maintain schools and a lot of folks want to ask about the lottery and there’s no money at all from the lottery that goes towards this purpose,” Thrower said.
While there are mounting costs for maintenance, Marion County also has to keep up with an increasing population.
“We are talking about adding wings to schools that still are very serviceable,” Thrower said. “We also have new schools we know need to be built. So, yes it’s a combination.”
The half-cent sales tax will be in place for ten years and is expected to generate more than $300 million during that time.
For more details about the half-cent sales tax, visit the school district’s website.
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