By Sierra Bush Rester
As a lifelong Tallahasseean, parent to several children (who attend Leon County
Schools), and a Leon County school teacher, I have always hoped for an opportunity in which I
could put my money where my mouth is and use my tax dollars to support our community public
schools. Luckily for me and people like me, the Leon County School Board’s recent 4-1 vote to
propose a ballot initiative to increase the millage rate will allow me to do just that.
We will have an opportunity to support this ballot initiative come the election in
November, and the timing of this initiative could not have been more perfect. This initiative
comes at a time when public schools across Florida are suffering greatly, with Florida recently
being ranked at the bottom in the nation for teacher pay, and with the recent audit of Florida’s
2024-2025 voucher program showing that over $400 million in public funds have been lost or
are unaccounted for due to flaws and the lack of accountability in the way charter schools,
private schools, as well as homeschooling families, have handled voucher funds.
The disastrous state rollout of the voucher program over the last several years has left
districts across Florida having to absorb the costs of families whose charter schools closed down,
families who have taken voucher money but not enrolled their children in any curriculum-based
programs, and private schools that have mismanaged funds, taken the voucher money, and then
kicked students out, leaving public schools not only to absorb the costs of those failures but also
to make up for the learning losses caused by the switch out of public education.
Sometimes the dismal place that Florida policymakers have left our state in (when it
comes to education) can be so overwhelming that it often leaves the average person feeling like
there is nothing we can do about the state of education in Florida. Because, at the end of the day,
most of us are just trying to get by while doing our best to make the right choices for our own
children and their individual needs. There is also the cold reality that, regardless of how we feel
about it, the voucher program is here to stay; it is not going anywhere. That said, it is also true
that regardless of whether we send our kids to public school or enroll them in the voucher
program, we as parents and adults in the community absolutely do not have to let the mess at the
state level cause more mess and undue struggle in our lives and within our community.
In fact, we as taxpayers now have the chance to step up where the state has failed and do
better for the children in our community. Our schools are the bedrock of our town’s community
and heart, and regardless of the type of school a child attends, if they are using voucher money,
they are using public money and money that belongs to all of us. So instead of giving in to
apathy while we wait for the suits up at the Capitol to unscramble their poorly rolled-out voucher
program, why don’t we put our money where our mouths are and do what we can as a
community to support our local School Board so that they can support our community’s
children?
Of course, not everyone sees this initiative as good for the sake of doing good. In fact,
some have argued that the initiative’s language is too vague and have expressed worries about the
School Board having control over the funds. While those concerns make sense in theory, in
practice the worry is mostly moot because the way this initiative is being done is simply the procedure by which something like this is done. There is not really another way to do it.
Furthermore, the entire point of a School Board is to manage funds that come from state, federal,
and municipal sources and then redistribute those funds to local schools. This is literally the core
function of a school district, so while a citizens advisory committee wouldn’t hurt, any funding
going to schools will ultimately be managed by the board because that is the point of the board.
Finally, the language of the initiative is worded the way it is, again, due to procedure.
Taxes are a very complicated policy issue, and it is difficult to be super specific, especially when
it applies to a millage tax. We saw some of the same concerns raised when the Children’s
Services Council was initially proposed. Even I did not support that initiative at first because I
was one of those concerned about the language. However, in retrospect, I was wrong. The
Children’s Services Council has actually proven to be a great investment, and it has been
wonderful to see them partner with Leon County to support our community’s children in times of
need. This new ballot initiative to increase the millage rate is likely to do as much good as we’ve
seen with the Children’s Services Council.
In fact, this is our chance as the capital city to set an example of what it looks like when
real adults show up. Let’s show the suits up at the Capitol that even if they, as our state
policymakers, can’t figure out a way to improve things for our state’s children, we can and will
do their jobs for them. All we have to do is say yes in November.
who champions inclusive, high-quality public education for all students. Her work focuses on
disability rights, student opportunity, and strengthening equitable public school systems.
