Extra spending is proposed for the Monroe County College District heading into the 2025-26 yr.
Final yr’s proposed native faculty tax levy for the county was $162,097,294. This yr’s is $174,035,881. The spending distinction is in capital tasks. The capital outlay millage of .6 mils will generate $34,015,836 for brand spanking new development, ADA compliance, security and safety, renovation and restore, two new faculty buses and upkeep automobiles.
The entire proposed native faculty board millage charge for 2025-26 is 2.9470. This is a rise of .1 mills over the 2024-2025 millage charge of two.8470. One mill represents $1 in taxes for each $1,000 of assessed property worth.
In tough phrases, with out accounting for exemptions, which means a rise of $36.50 for each $500,000 of assessed property worth. The entire 2025-26 invoice can be $1,473.50 for each $500,000 of assessed property worth with out relying on exemptions.
Charlene White, faculty district finance director, requested the college board at its July 22 assembly to approve the location of ads informing the general public of the proposed millage charges for 2025-26. The Fact in Millage (TRIM) notices despatched out by the property appraiser’s workplace yearly present one other line merchandise for state faculties. Solely a small proportion of the state faculty tax cash comes again to Monroe County.
A call on the proposed tax enhance and faculty price range was set for a July 29 public listening to on the Key West Metropolis Corridor. One other price range workshop will probably be held at Coral Shores Excessive College on Aug. 19. A remaining price range listening to is scheduled for the Sept. 9 assembly at Marathon Excessive College.
In different issues, the board spent a great deal of time inspecting the conceptual design for the Reynolds College renovation challenge in Key West. That is a part of a plan that enables the district to vacate the executive headquarters at Trumbo Level so the location can turn out to be inexpensive workforce housing. By means of a public-private partnership, the district will develop 150 inexpensive housing items at its Trumbo Street property without charge to taxpayers.
Throughout the evaluation, board members commented on particulars together with the scale of workplaces and the situation of services. There was a basic concern about respecting the constructing structure and sustaining an open constructing facade. Board member Sue Woltanski requested notably about fencing within the entrance of the constructing. Reynolds faculty is included within the Key West historic registry and board members are cautious about respecting the integrity of the unique 1927 structure.
Pat Lefere, govt director of operations and planning for the college district, briefly reviewed the standing of the deliberate upgrades to the ballfield at Founders Park in Islamorada for using the Coral Shores Excessive College baseball program. Planning employees from the college board and the village are shifting ahead with proposals and statements of want.
College board chair Mindy Conn raised the thought of utilizing a meals concession truck as an alternative of investing in a brick-and-mortar concession stand for Coral Shores. She recommended the truck would supply flexibility to serve different sports activities on the faculty. Lefere replied that planners on the village appreciated the thought of getting a concession stand obtainable for the opposite occasions on the park, however he’ll present a report on the comparative prices.
Lefere additionally reported on the prices and charges for the paid faculty lunch program. The Nationwide College Lunch Program subsidizes and intently controls funds totally free and reduced-price meals within the county faculties. This system requires faculties to cost paying college students a value for meals that covers the price of the meal or steadily will increase till it does cowl the price. The U.S. Division of Agriculture makes use of a method to find out the goal value every year. Failure to satisfy the requirement can result in disqualification from the federal program.
The COVID pandemic disrupted the enforcement of this system. The necessity for accountability is returning and which means the prices of paid faculty lunches will rise. Within the coming faculty yr, the value of lunch in main faculty will go up by 55 cents to $3.30. Lunch in highschool will rise by 40 cents to $3.50. Lunch for adults will rise by a greenback to succeed in $5. There will probably be comparable enhance within the 2026-27 faculty yr with an annual rise of 10 cents in following years.
The college board members mentioned the issue of scholars build up debt and owing the district for unpaid lunches. Board member John Dick famous that the lunch debt is a long-standing drawback. Conn requested Lefere to offer extra info on the scale of the debt.
