School Board Approves Total Millage Rate of 5.929 Mills, Below Rollback Rate

The Sarasota County School Board unanimously approved a total proposed millage rate of 5.929 mills for the 2026-2027 school year, which officials said is below the rollback rate of 7.148 mills.

According to the presentation, the total proposed millage rate represents a 3.56% decrease from last year's rolled back millage rate. The rate is composed of a required local effort rate of 2.681 mills, a basic discretionary rate of 0.748 mills, a capital outlay rate of 1.50 mills, and a voter-approved operating referendum of 1.00 mill.

The required local effort rate is established through the state's Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) calculation. The board must levy this amount for the district to participate in and receive FEFP funding.

Officials reported that Sarasota County's taxable assessed value increased by approximately 1.52% from the 2025 certified value, considerably lower than growth in prior years. The presentation also noted that net state FEFP funding increased by approximately $23.7 million, partially offset by a roughly $13.65 million decrease in local FEFP funding due to the reduced required local effort millage rate, and additional scholarship deductions of about $5.1 million. The district is projected to receive a net increase of approximately $4.5 million to the general fund.

The voter-approved operating referendum is projected to total approximately $114.1 million for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.

Source: SCS Board Special Meeting | Tuesday, July 28, 2026 - 5:01p - Tentative Millage and Budget Hearing