Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres addresses reporters in Tampa, Florida on July 17, 2024. Credit: Photo c/o Hillsborough County Public Schools

The leader of Hillsborough County’s public school systems is already fighting back after the county board of commissioners made a surprise vote today to push a millage referendum off the November ballot and into 2026.

Speaking last Wednesday afternoon in front of members of the teachers union, four school board members and supporters, a heated Hillsborough County Public Schools Superintendent Van Ayres told reporters that he’s called a special school board meeting for Tuesday, July 23 at 2 p.m. where he will ask for authority “to seek all appropriate legal action to ensure the millage referendum is on the ballot, November 5th, of this year.”

The millage calls for $1 of every $1,000 of assessed property value to go to Hillsborough County Public Schools (HCPS)—an estimated $177 million could come into the school system. Ayres said HCPS would have used the money as a supplement to its budget to make wages for workers like bus drivers, support staff, and teachers more competitive.

Hillsborough’s Board of Commissioners was supposed to approve the placement of the millage referendum as a formality this morning, according to Ayres, who added that he was shocked when Commissioner Joshua Wostal made a motion to delay the vote to 2026. Wostal’s motion passed 4-3 along party lines.

Commissioners Wostal, Ken Hagan, Christine Miller, Donna Cameron Cepeda voted yes on the motion to delay the millage vote.

Commissioners Pat Kemp, Gwen Myers and Harry Cohen voted no.

Asked by a reporter if he felt Wostal’s motion and subsequent votes was an attack on public schools, Ayres replied, “Without a doubt.”

The superintendent, who took office last November, later added that this was the no. 1 most offensive attack on the public school system he’s experienced in his tenure.

“The word I came back with earlier today was this was unprecedented,” he added, “that they would step in the middle of this and take this away from our students.”

Citing Florida Statute 1011.73 on district millage elections, Ayres said it is the board of commissioners’ administrative to to pass the referendum through.

“Our school board voted in April to have this on the ballot in November. Our stand is that they have no right to postpone that at all. They are superseding. They’re trying to take away the power of the school board by postponing that vote, and they have no right to do so,” Ayres said.

He added that millage referendums already exist in Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota and Manatee counties.

“I don’t take this lightly at all,” Ayres said about asking voters to tax themselves to help public schools. “I understand what’s going on in the economy, but this is about leveling the playing field and letting our voters make that decision on if that one mill passes or not.”

This is a developing post.

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