Florida Counties Pass School Taxes While Tazewell County Rejects

Voters in Florida and Illinois decided on critical school funding measures during Tuesday's elections, with starkly different results. In Florida, Broward County and Palm Beach County voters approved property tax referendum renewals to maintain a 1-mill tax, which provides $100 per $100,000 in assessed property value for teacher salaries, campus security, and mental health resources.

The Broward County measure passed with over 66% support, preventing an annual loss of $358 million. In Palm Beach County, the renewal passed with approximately 77% support, avoiding a $361 million shortfall. Palm Beach voters also approved bonds for libraries and parks totaling $455 million.

Conversely, voters in Tazewell County, Illinois, rejected a 1% school facilities sales tax referendum with 54.8% voting against it. This marks the third time the measure has failed since 2018, blocking an estimated $22 million in annual funding for security and maintenance across 18 school districts. In other local results, the Tazewell County Board remained entirely Republican, though it elected 18-year-old Ben Ackerman as its youngest member in history. Morton Park District voters also approved a $4.8 million bond for capital improvements, including a new splash pad.