TAMPA, Fla. — Thursday, the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association (HCTA) launched the "Vote Yes For Students" campaign as a way to build support for a referendum that would boost employee pay in the district.

What You Need To Know

  • The Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association launched the "Vote Yes For Students" campaign Thursday

  • The campaign is meant to build support among voters for a referendum that would increase property taxes to boost employee pay

  • The school district took legal action against the county after commissioners voted to delay putting the measure on the ballot until 2026

  • A decision from the judge could come as early as Monday

"We're going to do what we've always done, which is educate," said HCTA Union President Rob Kriete. "We want the voters of Hillsborough County to make an educated decision."

The campaign includes a website with the referendum language and reasons to support it.

"Great teachers lead to positive educational outcomes," the site stated. "Help our county keep its great teachers, and keep our students learning."

As of the campaign's launch, it was still unclear if the referendum would be included on the Nov. 5 ballot. The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted last month to delay sending the measure to the ballot until 2026.

"It's unprecedented. We feel like it's anti-student. We feel like it's anti-public education," said Kriete of the move that took many associated with the school district by surprise.

The referendum would lead to a property tax increase for residents, with funds going toward teacher and staff salaries. Supporters said it is key to making Hillsborough County competitive with surrounding districts that already took this type of step to boost teacher pay.

"We have 500 teaching vacancies right now," said Kriete. "That's thousands of kids that are not going to have a highly qualified teacher in front of them, and that's heartbreaking."

The school district is taking legal action to get that referendum on this year's ballot. Kriete said students can't wait two years for vacancies to be filled, and HCTA isn't waiting for a judge's decision to start getting its message out to voters.

Commissioners who voted in favor of the delay said they understand the school district's need but argued this isn't the time to place another cost increase on residents.

"The CIT (Community Investment Tax) is on the ballot. To add a new tax increase on top of the CIT and all of our other increases, I'm deeply concerned we'll doom both referendums," Commission Chair Ken Hagan said during the July 17 meeting, referring to the county's community investment tax.

"The average home is going to pay less than $300 for this, but the investment is going to be forever for some of these kids," said Kriete.