The $8,668 average salary supplement that Duval County teachers received in the 2025-26 school year could disappear if voters reject the one-mill property tax renewal on the Nov. 3 ballot.

Duval County Public Schools launched a voter-information website on Monday, Aug. 24, outlining what the millage funds and what's at stake. The tax generates about $121 million annually for the district, with the majority funding compensation for teachers, school police and other employees. Approximately 12% supports student programming, including arts and athletics at schools across the district, including Fletcher High School, Fletcher Middle School and Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School.

The renewal is not a tax increase. It would maintain the current rate of $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For a home valued at $300,000, that works out to about $300 a year.

What the millage has done

When voters first approved the one-mill referendum in August 2022, DCPS was facing its worst teacher shortage in five years, with more than 400 vacancies. Since then, the district's teacher vacancy rate has dropped from 6.5% to 4.4%, and retention has climbed from 87% to 91%, according to DCPS.

Third-grade teacher Lindzee McClure, featured in a video on the district's new website, described what the 2022 vote meant in the classroom.

"It felt great that the community believed in us," McClure said. "We felt valued. We're not in there worrying about how we're going to pay our bills. We're in there worrying about the kids …"

Still, challenges remain. Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Watkins said the district had about 203 vacancies heading into the 2026-27 school year, according to a July 28 back-to-school briefing reported by News4JAX.

How it reached the ballot

The Jacksonville City Council voted 15-0 on June 9 to place the renewal on the November ballot, according to News4JAX, after a finance committee had previously delayed the measure. The Duval County School Board had voted 6-1 in March to send it forward.

Superintendent Christopher Bernier said at a July 28 back-to-school briefing that state law prohibits him from telling residents how to vote, but that his role is to educate the public on how the funding supports schools. Twenty-nine Florida school districts, including every district surrounding Duval County, levy the same one-mill tax for teacher compensation.

As we reported Aug. 23, the district is also navigating a tighter overall budget, with operating revenues set to decrease 4.5%, or $15 million, to $3.4 billion for 2026-27. The one-mill revenue is separate from that general operating budget.

What's next

Florida law requires voters to renew the one-mill tax every four years. The Jacksonville Public Education Fund is hosting a community forum on the referendum on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Early voting runs Oct. 29 through Nov. 1 at 24 sites across Duval County, with Election Day polls open Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The School Board is scheduled to adopt its final 2026-27 budget and millage rates on Thursday, Sept. 10.