Schools, county won't split St. Johns sales tax

Commissioners voted down the proposal Tuesday night

ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – The St. Johns County Commission has rejected calls from the school district to split a proposed 1 cent sales tax hike with the county.

Tuesday night, school superintendent Joseph Joyner made the pitch to commissioners. Joyner tells News4Jax the county will have to build nearly one dozen schools in the next ten years, because of how quickly the district is growing.

On average, 87 percent of St. Johns County students graduate from high school -- that rate is almost 10 percent higher than the rest of the state of Florida.

That's one reason the school district is a critical part of the county's economic engine. Even the real estate market is having a tough time keeping up with the demand from Florida families who are moving in.

"The need is there. The growth is not going down," Joyner said. "We're already ordering twice as many portable classrooms as we have in the past."

Joyner projects the student count will grow from 35,000 to 49,000 students over the next 10 years, which means the district will also need to build 20 new schools over the next decade. The proposed 1 cent sales tax is expected to generate an additional $23 million. Joyner said the school district needs half of that money.

Despite outspoken school board members, teachers and community members at the county commission meeting, commissioners voted down the proposal Tuesday night. Commissioners said they will look into other ways to ensure the school board meets its capital needs.

The St. Johns County commission takes up the sales tax issue again July 7th. If the sales tax proposal is approved, it will go on the ballot for voters in December.  


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Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.