Orange School District board meeting, Sep 8, 2026
3 h 34 min · 3 public speakers
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What happened
What happened at this meeting
Orange County school board adopts 6.343-mill tax rate and final 2026-27 budget 2:51:55
- District staff presented the 2026-27 millage and final budget, reporting an overall rate decrease of 0.106 mills, or 1.64%. 22:14
- Board members asked about the Save Our Homes cap, property tax litigation and the TAN. 1:09:00
- The board adopted a total millage of 6.343 mills and approved the final budget, with both motions carrying with all members present. 2:51:55
- The board also approved item 17.01 as amended. 3:01:08
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Item by item (15)
- Opening and agenda 1:50
- Employee association reports 3:37
- A speaker during the association reports said teachers were told before the long weekend that their positions were being eliminated and asked the district to communicate with its employees. 4:38
- A second speaker said some schools do not have the enrollment to carry a full-time assistant principal and some administrators have been asked to lead multiple schools. 9:04
- Code of student conduct revision 11:01
- A district staff member said the revision bars students without a learner's driver's license or driver's license from bringing micromobility devices to campus, aligning the code with Policy JLIE. 12:40
- Angie Gallo asked whether bikes would be kept, and a staff member later said the board had agreed bikes would be confiscated after the 5th offense. 14:29
- The staff member said the district would come back to the board after the first 9 weeks. 14:46
- The motion carried with all members present, and no votes changed after the clarification. 15:15
- Millage and budget presentation 16:15
- A staff member said the additional millage represents 11% of the operating budget and is projected to generate approximately $255 million this year. 20:02
- A district staff member said the overall millage rate would decrease by 0.106 mills, or 1.64%, and the owner of a $349,970 home would pay $20 more in taxes per year. 22:11
- A staff member said Moody's affirmed the district's AA1 rating with a stable outlook. 52:02
- Public comment on the budget 1:00:11
- Speakers at public comment raised the loss of school positions, larger class sizes and rising health care costs for employees. 1:00:34
- Another speaker asked the board to consider the importance of water to students' future. 1:04:52
- Maria Salamanca said comments on student clubs did not fall under the budget item and invited those speakers to email the board or attend the next meeting. 1:08:04
- Questions on tax changes and litigation 1:08:44
- Angie Gallo asked whether the 3% cap on residential increases would remain and what revenue effect a reduction in the cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5% would have. 1:09:00
- A staff member said the 3% cap stays in the resolution and the commercial cap change begins January 1st, 2027. 1:17:00
- A staff member said the district has received two settlements in the large property owner litigation and an appeals court upheld a trial court ruling in a case involving a commercial property. 1:17:18
- Questions on general fund, enrollment and safety 1:21:51
- Alicia Farrant asked why the general fund budget was $129 million higher than last year, and a staff member cited a $34 million scholarship increase and escrow dollars returned to the budget. 1:21:58
- Stephanie Vanos asked whether the budget assumed the district would not pay a higher reimbursement rate for SROs than it currently pays, and a staff member said the district is in the year it will start negotiating a new contract. 1:34:08
- Questions on short-term borrowing 1:36:22
- One board member said the TAN made them very, very uneasy and asked why the district last used it in '08 and what its purpose is now. 1:39:31
- A staff member said the note would be repaid in April from property tax revenues. 1:42:36
- A staff member said the borrowing rate would be known the next day when the notes go out. ~1:43:38
- Questions on health care, meals and staffing 1:45:05
- A staff member said this is the last year all students will eat at no charge, and families will return to an application process. 2:02:57
- A staff member said each month the new health plan is delayed beyond December 1st would cost an additional $20 million. 2:15:00
- The superintendent said cabinet positions had been reduced from 26 to 12 and the district office had cut 5% over the last 2 years. 2:26:15
- Adoption of total millage 2:51:22
- Adoption of final budget 2:53:48
- Consent agenda 2:56:09
- State and federal legislative platform 2:56:48
- Angie Gallo moved to amend the platform to move attendance from the areas of concern back to the main platform. 2:57:25
- Angie Gallo said the new education commissioner had said the commissioner would be willing to look at attendance and a definition of chronic absenteeism. 2:59:52
- The amendment carried with one member voting no, a second proposed amendment failed for lack of a second, and the amended platform was approved with one member in opposition. 2:57:57
- Superintendent and counsel reports 3:01:48
- The superintendent said 78% of students recruited by CASA remained with the district and that 8,428 students are registered in home education. 3:01:26
- The superintendent said the district is negotiating a consulting agreement on drug plan options to reduce pharmaceutical costs. 3:01:26
- A staff member said a firm had approached the district about a class action seeking recovery of tariffs, and one board member said a meeting was fine but the board may want more information before deciding. 3:08:50
- Board member reports 3:11:42
- Angie Gallo asked to amend the resolution list the board adopted at its last meeting, and a staff member said the district would amend it. 3:16:39
- Stephanie Vanos said a work session on screens in classrooms is expected before the end of the semester. 3:21:52
- Vicki-Elaine Felder reported on the FSBA board of directors meeting in Ocala. 3:30:11
Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.
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Video: posted by the district as “OCPS | 2026-09-08 School Board Meeting”