Pasco Schools Seeks Tax Renewal: What Has the One-Mill Levy Raised, and Where Did the Money Go?

Voters will decide whether to continue a property-tax levy supporting school staff compensation and safety. Financial records show what it raised and where funds were budgeted.

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL — October 17, 2026. On November 3, Pasco County voters will be asked whether to continue a property-tax levy that affects school workers and homeowners alike.

Pasco County Schools proposes renewing the up-to-one-mill levy authorized by voters in 2022. The district says it currently generates about $60 million a year, primarily for employee salary supplements and school safety. How does that figure compare with previous years, and what do the records say about spending?

How much revenue did the levy produce?

The 2022 authorization began generating revenue in school fiscal year 2023–24. District budget documents and a presentation to the School Board contain three relevant figures:

ONE-MILL SCHOOL REFERENDUM REVENUEUS$ millions · Estimates vs. reported actual collections2023–24 · Budget52.672024–25 · Actual59.202025–26 · Budget64.13Red = reported actual · Blue = budget estimatesBudget figures are not final collections.

The one-mill levy was budgeted to raise $52.67 million in 2023–24; the district reported $59.20 million in actual revenue for 2024–25; and the 2025–26 budget projected $64.13 million. Budget estimates must not be mistaken for completed collections. Sources: Pasco County Schools financial documents.

The $59.2 million actually reported for 2024–25 is the closest like-for-like comparison with the approximately $60 million annually now discussed by the district. The $64.13 million projection for 2025–26 is higher, but remains a projected amount in the cited budget. Revenue depends on the taxable property base.

What does one mill mean to a property owner?

One mill is $1 annually for every $1,000 of taxable property value. A property with $250,000 in taxable value would therefore incur $250 per year from a one-mill levy. Taxable value need not equal the home's market price.

The current ballot question seeks to renew this existing levy for July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. It would not automatically impose an additional second mill, but it would continue the current tax charge on affected properties.

Where was the money allocated?

The district identifies employee compensation and school safety as the main uses. In its 2024–25 budget, Pasco County Schools allocated approximately $54.42 million in planned salary supplements and associated employer costs to four employee groups.

2024–25 SALARY SUPPLEMENT BUDGETUS$54.42M planned for four employee groupsInstructional staff$36.72MSchool support staff$13.35MNon-bargaining staff$3.37MTechnical staff$0.97MBudget allocations, not all actual revenue or expenditures.

These are planned 2024–25 salary-supplement allocations, not a final spending breakdown of the $59.2 million actually collected. Charter-school allocations, balances and adjustments are not fully represented by the four bars. Source: Pasco County Schools 2024–25 tentative budget.

Instructional employees account for about two-thirds of this salary-supplement budget, but that does not establish that two-thirds of all levy revenue ultimately went directly to teachers.

What was actually spent?

In a presentation to the School Board in January 2026 concerning 2024–25, district records reported approximately $59.2 million collected and $56.2 million in expenses. Those expenses included approximately $6.2 million allocated to charter schools, which is already included in the expense total.

The arithmetic difference was roughly $3 million. Without the full reconciliation, it cannot be characterized as unrestricted savings or money available for a different use. Budget allocations, collections and expenditures describe different stages of financial reporting.

Does it finance new schools?

This is an operating levy, not the primary capital budget for constructing new campuses. Major school-building projects generally draw on other funding sources, including programs such as Penny for Pasco. Growing communities like Wesley Chapel need both school facilities and employees, but those expenses involve separate financial questions.

Why does the district seek renewal?

Pasco County Schools says the levy supports employee recruitment and retention. It has projected that losing the referendum-funded supplements could cause an approximately 12% reduction in affected employees' compensation, depending on individual circumstances. That is a district projection, not an already implemented reduction.

For homeowners, renewal means continuing the current authorization for another four-year period. The levy does not raise a fixed number of dollars each year because taxable property values can change.

What the records show

The one-mill levy has generated tens of millions of dollars annually since the 2022 authorization. The reported $59.2 million collected in 2024–25 provides a concrete historical reference for the district's description of the renewal as involving approximately $60 million annually.

The documents also distinguish three figures residents should not confuse: what was budgeted, what was collected, and what was spent.

Practical information

Measure: Renewal of the existing Pasco County Schools levy of up to one mill.

Election: November 3, 2026.

Proposed duration: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2031.

Current annual levy revenue cited by district: Approximately $60 million.

Purposes: Eligible employees' compensation, school safety, and proportional distribution required by law.

Sources