Miami-Dade voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to renew a property tax for teacher pay and school security that is projected to raise about $585 million a year. The Miami-Dade County School Board voted unanimously earlier this year to place the measure on the ballot.

The measure, ballot item No. 268, asks voters whether to extend the existing levy of $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value for four more years. The current tax expires June 30, 2027. If approved, the renewal would run from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031.

What homeowners would pay

For Coral Gables homeowners, as for property owners countywide, the tax works out to $100 a year for every $100,000 in taxable value after exemptions. The school board says a "typical" homeowner would pay less than $316 a year.

The Miami Herald calculated that a homeowner at the county's median taxable value of $177,141 would pay about $177 a year. The figures differ because they start from different property values.

Board members Roberto Alonso and Monica Colucci, who opposed the referendum as candidates in 2022, both voted this year to put the renewal on the ballot, Diario las Américas reported.

Where the money goes

The school board's $585 million projection is slightly higher than the Herald's estimate of $569.5 million, which is based on district budget documents. About 88% of the money goes to salary supplements for teachers and instructional staff. The remaining 12% pays for school safety, including police officers and security staff on campuses.

More than 27% of the money goes to charter schools, in proportion to their enrollment.

Miami-Dade voters first approved the "Secure Our Future" referendum in 2018 and renewed it in 2022. A citizen oversight committee monitors how the money is spent.

The renewal comes as Miami-Dade County Public Schools faces a budget cut of more than 3% and studies possible school closures or consolidations tied to declining enrollment. Traditional public schools opened the 2026-27 school year with 215,078 students, about 31,000 fewer than two years earlier, the Miami Times reported. The district's operating budget is about $7.4 billion.

District officials have warned that without the renewal, the district would lose money it uses for salary supplements that count toward retirement and for security personnel during the school day.

Broad coalition backs the renewal

Supporters include School Board member Danny Espino, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Rene Garcia, United Teachers of Dade President Antonio White and Florida PTA President Jude Bruno. At a Sept. 15 news conference, White called the referendum "the heartbeat that keeps this district running" and said state funding alone was not enough.

In a separate interview with the Miami Times the same day, Superintendent Rafael Villalobos said some district teachers work two or three jobs to afford to live in Miami. "The referendum does exactly what it's supposed to do. It makes wages competitive," he said.

The district is holding nine town hall meetings through Oct. 15 to explain the proposal. Each begins with a community resource fair from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., followed by the town hall from 6:30 to 8 p.m.