Pasco County teachers and staff face an approximate 12% salary cut if voters do not renew a referendum that funds employee pay across the district.

The Pasco County School Board holds its final public hearing on the 2026-27 budget Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m. in the district office at 7205 Land O' Lakes Blvd. in Land O' Lakes. The hearing will also address the referendum renewal, which is scheduled to appear on the 2026 ballot.

Pasco County voters first approved the salary referendum in 2022 to help the district compete with neighboring counties for teachers, bus drivers and other employees. The referendum is set to expire unless voters renew it this year.

Salary schedules show gap with, without referendum funding

According to district salary schedules posted in January 2026, a teacher with five years of experience earns $52,450 with the referendum. Without it, that drops to $48,000. A teacher with 25 years earns $63,630 with the referendum but would fall to $54,680 without it. Bus drivers would see their starting hourly wage drop from $18.50 to $16.35.

Teacher vacancies fell sharply after 2022 referendum passed

Before the referendum took effect, the district opened the 2022-23 school year with 314 teacher vacancies, OurTownFLA reported. As of June, that number had fallen to 55, with a 96% instructional fill rate.

Board chair, past applicants cite pay gap with neighboring counties

School Board Chair Colleen Beaudoin said all five board members support the renewal. At a June 27 community meeting to launch the renewal campaign, Beaudoin said qualified applicants had turned down job offers after learning what Pasco could pay. Some educators left for better-paying positions in Hillsborough or Pinellas counties, she said.

"The most important things we can do for our students are to keep them safe and place a highly qualified teacher in front of them," Beaudoin said at the June meeting.

Supporters describe the renewal as a continuation of the existing tax, not a new one. An independent Citizen Oversight Committee reviews how the revenue is spent and reports findings publicly.

Proposed budget raises tax levy, trims overall spending

The proposed 2026-27 operating budget calls for a property tax levy of $436,627,342, up from last year's $419,589,837, according to the district's budget summary. Overall operating expenditures are 0.9% less than last year.

The hearing is open to the public. The referendum renewal will go before Pasco County voters on the 2026 ballot.