Superintendent Rocky Hanna’s proposed 2026-27 tentative budget was passed by the Leon County School Board but not without a mouthful from school teachers and board member Alva Smith.
Smith was a lone “no” vote against the adoption of the proposed spending plan set for $615 million − about $32 million less than what it was last year. She said she feels more could be done to save money and pay teachers more.
“If we don’t plan now for next year, I will be sitting right here at this dais having these exact same feelings I was having last year. Therefore I will not support this budget,” Smith said. “Because it does not put our teachers and support staff first.”
The Tuesday night school board meeting encompassed the first tentative budget hearing for the board to approve. It passed in a 4-1 vote.
The proposed budget reflects a property tax rate increase on an average of almost $28 at a total of about $967, even though the collection rate is lower than it was last year.
“Enough is enough and we need to change our priorities to reflect that we value the teachers that serve our district,” veteran teacher Marcy Grauer told the board. “We ask that you reconsider the proposed budget and prioritize salary increases.”
Teachers, who are in the process of contract negotiations with the district, expressed disappointment that they may not be seeing pay raises this year. The state changed eligibility for its Teacher Salary Increase Allocation (TSIA) to teachers who have 10 or more years of experience in Florida classrooms.
Based on metrics in Leon County, only about 42% of educators will see a $1,554 increase in pay. The other 58% of teachers will receive nothing.
In an exclusive interview with the Tallahassee Democrat Monday after a board workshop meeting about the proposed budget, Hanna said “there would be no raises for anyone.”
The statement was a blow to union leaders, who read about the news of no raises in the Tallahassee Democrat.
“Our meetings with district leadership led us to believe that educators were being heard and that we were moving toward a more collaborative relationship ― one grounded in shared facts, shared work and shared responsibility,” one teacher emailed to the board. “That hope is why the recent public statement that there would be no salary increases ‘for anyone’ was so discouraging.”
So far in negotiations, teachers have proposed a salary package of about $3 million, which includes state allocated dollars for pay increases. The district has yet to accept or reject the proposal.
“None of us are happy about this budget situation,” Hanna said. “We love our teachers and we know that they are the backbone of this district.”
The morning of the Tuesday meeting, the union met with the district for negotiations.
“Today, during negotiations we clearly expressed its disappointing to find out there are no salary increases before we could get back to the table to find out,” Leon Classroom Teacher Association President Scott Mazur said. “We know that there are state issues but we’re looking for more proactive choices here in the district that would allow us to see those salary increases.”
The budget carries a gloomy tune for the district, bringing to light financial shortfalls caused by increasing costs, underfunding from the state and a loss of students to the state’s voucher program.
Smith said the easy thing to do would be to support the spending plan and move along, but she couldn’t do it.
She voiced last year the need for the district to take drastic measures to save itself from a financial crisis.
“We are not putting our teachers and support staff first,” Smith said. “It’s our job to face the financial reality that we have and prepare for the future.”
She added that none of her colleagues on the board entertained any discussion about “necessary deep cuts” including closing schools, reducing assistant principal positions and consolidating district facilities.
Board Chair Marcus Nicolas said, however, that all board members presented ideas for how the district could save money.
“To say there has been no conversation of cuts is simply disingenuous,” Nicolas responded. “We have all articulated ways by which we should be more cautious, more concerned, more articulate with our funds and with our funding.”
With the proposed tax increase already on the table, a sales tax initiative and a referendum to levy more property taxes to cover costs for salary increases, school safety initiatives and school enrichment programs, the district is hoping the local community will step in to support its public schools.
The tax referendums will be decided by Leon County voters on Nov. 3, 2026.
“It breaks my heart to see us in the position we are in, but now we need our community to step up,” Hanna said. “We are going to be forced locally to raise money through the millage rate in order to do right by our teachers and our support staff. I have full faith and confidence that our community is going to step up because they love our teachers.”
The budget will come before the board for final adoption September 8, 2026 during a public hearing.
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at abrown@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County schools pass budget despite teacher outcry
Reporting by Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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By Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
