NOTICE OF REFERENDUM ELECTION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTOF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A REFERENDUM ELECTION will be held on November 3, 2026, in The School District of St. Lucie County, Florida, for the purpose of determining whether or not the electors in the School District approve continuing the levy of 1.00 mill for operational needs of the District for four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031; all as more specifically described and provided in a Resolution of the School Board of St. Lucie County, Florida, adopted March 10, 2026, and published below.
The polls will be open at the voting places on the date of the referendum election from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., absentee voting will be available for the referendum election, and early voting will be in accordance with the Florida Election Code and other applicable law, all as provided in the Resolution published below.
All qualified electors residing within the School District shall be entitled, qualified, and permitted to vote at the referendum election.
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A RESOLUTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, DIRECTING THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, TO CALL A REFERENDUM ELECTION TO BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026, TO DETERMINE IF THE ELECTORS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, APPROVE CONTINUING THE LEVY OF 1.00 MILL FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE DISTRICT FOR FOUR YEARS; PROVIDING FOR NOTICE OF THE REFERENDUM ELECTION; PROVIDING FOR PLACES OF VOTING, INSPECTORS, AND CLERKS; PROVIDING FOR AN OFFICIAL BALLOT; PROVIDING FOR ABSENTEE VOTING; PROVIDING FOR EARLY VOTING; PROVIDING FOR PRINTING OF BALLOTS; PROVIDING FOR THE REFERENDUM ELECTION PROCEDURE; PROVIDING FOR EXPENSES OF THE ELECTION; PROVIDING FOR PROVISION TO COUNTY COMMISSION AND SUPERVISOR OF ELECTIONS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY; PROVIDING A REPEALING CLAUSE; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE
BE IT RESOLVED by The School Board of St. Lucie County, Florida (Board), acting as the governing body of The School District of St. Lucie County, Florida (District), as follows:
SECTION 1. AUTHORITY FOR RESOLUTION. This Resolution is adopted pursuant to Sections 1011.71(9) and 1011.73(2), Florida Statutes, and other applicable provisions of law.
SECTION 2. FINDINGS. The Board hereby finds and determines as follows:
A. All School Boards in the State of Florida have rising operating expenses and also are affected by the national teacher shortage.
B. This Board must find sufficient operating revenues to raise the salaries of teachers to competitive levels, and to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and other instructional personnel, and thereby to maintain high quality instruction in District schools.
C. This Board must also find sufficient operating revenues to meet the Districts statutory obligations to enhance school security, improve mental and other health services, and fund other essential operations that preserve important school programs.
D. Section 1011.71(9), Florida Statutes, authorizes this Board to levy, subject to approval by local referendum, an additional millage for school operational purposes (Operational Millage) up to an amount that, when combined with the non-voted millage levied by this Board, does not exceed the 10 mill limit established in Article VII, Section 9(b), of the Florida Constitution, and the current millage is well-below such limit.
E. This Board has determined that it is in the best interest of District students and staff to submit to the voters the question of approving continuation of the additional 1.00 mill of ad valorem tax for a period of four (4) years in order to raise salaries of teachers, recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, enhance school security, improve mental and other health services, and fund other essential operations that preserve important school programs, and to distribute proportional funds to Charter Schools pursuant to Florida Statutes, with all fund expenditures reviewed by a citizens advisory committee.
F. Subject to approval by the electors of the District at a referendum held as provided in Sections 1011.71(9) and 1011.73(2), Florida Statutes, the Operational Millage shall continue to be levied for operational needs of the District for a period of four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031.
SECTION 3. LEVY OF OPERATIONAL MILLAGE. Subject to approval by the electors of the District at a referendum held as provided in Sections 1011.71(9) and 1011.73(2), Florida Statutes, the additional 1.00 mill shall continue to be levied within St. Lucie County for operational needs of the District for a period of four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031, in order to raise salaries of teachers, recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, enhance school security, improve mental and other health services, and fund other essential operations that preserve important school programs, and to distribute proportional funds to Charter Schools pursuant to Florida Statutes, with all fund expenditures reviewed by a citizens advisory committee.
SECTION 4. REFERENDUM ELECTION SOUGHT. As provided in Section 1011.71(9), Florida Statutes, this Board directs the Board of County Commissioners of St. Lucie County, Florida (County Commission), to call a referendum election to be held in the District on November 3, 2026, to determine whether or not the additional 1.00 mill shall continue to be levied within St. Lucie County for operational needs of the District for a period of four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031.
SECTION 5. NOTICE OF REFERENDUM ELECTION. The Superintendent is hereby authorized and directed to place a notice of the referendum election in a newspaper of general circulation published in the District. The publication shall be made at least thirty (30) days prior to the referendum and shall be made at least twice, once in the fifth week and once in the third week prior to the week in which the referendum is deemed to be held. The notice of referendum shall be in substantially the form provided in the attached Exhibit A. This Resolution shall be published as a part of such notice.
SECTION 6. PLACES OF VOTING; INSPECTORS AND CLERKS. The polls will be open at the voting places on the date of the referendum election from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. All qualified electors residing within the District shall be entitled and permitted to vote at the referendum election on the proposition provided in this Resolution. The places of voting and the inspectors and clerks of the referendum election shall be those designated by the Supervisor of Elections of St. Lucie County, Florida (Supervisor of Elections), in accordance with the provisions of Chapters 97 through 106, Florida Statutes (Florida Election Code), and other applicable law.
SECTION 7. OFFICIAL BALLOT. As required by Section 1011.73(4)(b), Florida Statutes, this Board provides that the ballots to be used in the referendum election shall contain a statement relating to the continuation of the levy of 1.00 mill for operational needs of the District for a period of four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031, and shall be in substantially the following form:
OFFICIAL BALLOT
School District of
St. Lucie County, Florida
General Election -
November 3, 2026
REFERENDUM REGARDING CONTINUING TO LEVY
FOR FOUR YEARS ONE MILL FOR OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICT
In order to raise the salaries of teachers, recruit and retain highly qualified teachers, enhance school security, improve mental and other health services, fund essential operations that preserve important school programs, and to distribute proportional funds to Charter Schools pursuant to Florida Statutes, shall the St. Lucie County School District continue the current annual ad valorem operating millage of one mill for four fiscal years, with expenditures reviewed by a citizens advisory committee?
______ YES = FOR continuing additional one mill for School District for four years
______ NO = AGAINST continuing additional one mill for School District for four years
SECTION 8. ABSENTEE VOTING. Adequate provision shall be made for absentee voters. The form of ballots to be used in the referendum election for absentee voters shall be the same as used in the polling places for the election.
SECTION 9. EARLY VOTING. Adequate provision shall be made for early voting in accordance with the Florida Election Code and other applicable law. The form of ballots to be used in the referendum election for early voting shall be the same as used in the polling places for the election.
SECTION 10. PRINTING OF BALLOTS. The Supervisor of Elections is authorized and directed to have printed on plain white paper a sufficient number of the ballots for use of absentee electors and early voters entitled to cast ballots in the referendum election; to have printed sample ballots and deliver the sample ballots to the inspectors and clerks on or before the date and time for opening of the polls for the referendum election; and to make appropriate arrangements for the conduct of the election at the polling places specified.
SECTION 11. REFERENDUM ELECTION PROCEDURE. The Supervisor of Elections shall hold, administer, and conduct the referendum election in the manner prescribed by the Florida Election Code and other applicable law for holding elections in the District. Returns shall show the number of qualified electors who voted at the referendum election on the proposition and the number of votes cast respectively for and against approval of the proposition. The returns shall be canvassed in accordance with law.
SECTION 12. EXPENSES OF ELECTION. As provided in Section 1011.73(7), Florida Statutes, the cost of the publication of the notice of the election and all expenses of the election shall be paid by this Board.
SECTION 13. PROVISION TO COUNTY COMMISSION AND SUPERVISOROF ELECTIONS. The Superintendent of Schools is hereby authorized and directed to provide certified copies of this Resolution to the County Commission and the Supervisor of Elections in order to memorialize this Boards determination to secure a referendum election seeking approval of the electors for the levy of the Operational Millage.
SECTION 14. SEVERABILITY. In the event that any word, phrase, clause, sentence,
or paragraph of this Resolution shall be held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, such holding shall not affect any other word, clause, phrase, sentence, or paragraph.
SECTION 15. REPEALING CLAUSE. All Resolutions in conflict or inconsistent with this Resolution are repealed insofar as there is conflict or inconsistency.
SECTION 16. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption.
ADOPTED at a Regular Meeting of The School Board of St. Lucie County, Florida, the 10th day of March, 2026, with a quorum present and voting.
THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA
By: /s/ Troy Ingersoll
Troy Ingersoll, Chair
[SEAL]
ATTEST:
/s/ Jon R. Prince
Dr. Jon R. Prince, Superintendent of Schoolsand Ex Officio Secretary to The School Boardof St. Lucie County, Florida
APPROVED AS TO FORM ANDLEGAL SUFFICIENCY:
/s/ W. Scott Cole
W. Scott Cole, Attorney
The School Board of St. Lucie County, Florida
EXHIBIT A
NOTICE OF REFERENDUM ELECTION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTOF ST. LUCIE COUNTY, FLORIDA, ON NOVEMBER 3, 2026
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN THAT A REFERENDUM ELECTION will be held on November 3, 2026, in The School District of St. Lucie County, Florida, for the purpose of determining whether or not the electors in the School District approve
continuing the levy of 1.00 mill for operational needs of the District for four (4) fiscal years, commencing July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031; all as more specifically described and provided in a Resolution of the School Board of St. Lucie County, Florida, adopted March 10, 2026, and published below.
The polls will be open at the voting places on the date of the referendum election from 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m., absentee voting will be available for the referendum election, and early voting will be in accordance with the Florida Election Code and other applicable law, all as provided in the Resolution published below.
All qualified electors residing within the School District shall be entitled, qualified, and permitted to vote at the referendum election.
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THE SCHOOL BOARD OF ST. LUCIE COUNTY,
FLORIDA
By: /s/ Troy Ingersoll
Troy Ingersoll, Chair
Pub: Sept 29 & Oct 13, 2026
TCN12636646