TAMPA, Fla. — The Hillsborough County School Board voted 5-2 on Tuesday night to have residents decide on a possible tax increase.

It would go towards raising pay for teachers and support staff. Superintendent Van Ayres says this is key for attracting and keeping teachers in the district.

Hillsborough County Public Schools officials asked voters for a millage increase two years ago, but the referendum failed by just 600 votes.

Board member Jessica Vaughn says on the one hand, the district wants the best for staff and students, and on the other, a millage increase puts homeowners in a tough spot amid so many other rising costs.

More than two dozen people spoke on the topic, with twice as many saying they were for putting the referendum on the ballot as were against.

Currently, teachers in Hillsborough County make below the state average for teacher pay, and Florida ranks 48th in the country for teacher pay. That means teachers in Florida are some of the lowest paid in the country.

When asked why raise the millage now, Ayres said it’s an urgent time for Hillsborough County Public Schools since those neighboring districts increased theirs. Ayres told the board that Hillsborough County lags behind several neighboring counties that already passed millage increases to boost teacher pay.

He says the proposal would bring in an additional $177 million a year — about 90% of which would go toward teacher and staff raises. According to Ayres, the typical homeowner would pay an extra $281 per year.

“I have, as I mentioned, 473 vacancies. That number cannot remain. We’ve got to do a much better job of being competitive with surrounding school districts,” said Ayres.

Next, it will be up to the county commission to send this to the Supervisor of Elections Office to be included on the ballot.