Broward teachers and other school-based employees would get the vast majority of referendum money if voters agree in November to renew a property tax.

The School Board spent more than five hours debating and listening to a packed house of speakers before finally agreeing Tuesday to allocate 90% of possible revenues from a proposed referendum for employee pay. The other 10% would be used for safety and security and mental health expenses.

It’s unclear how large of a supplement that would be for each employee. The School Board plans to negotiate the exact amounts with unions and other employee groups after the Nov. 3 election. For the last referendum, passed in 2022, teachers got supplements ranging from $500 to $12,000.

The tax, and all the revenues, will expire if voters don’t renew it in November. Property owners pay $100 per $100,000 in assessed property, and the district is not seeking an increase to the tax rate, although the revenues are expected to go up due to increased property values.

When voters approved the 2022 referendum, the allocations were 75% for employee bonuses and 25% for safety and security and mental health. Superintendent Howard Hepburn had recommended using 80% of the money for employee pay boosts.

But the School Board raised that to 90% after hearing requests from all district employee groups, who asked for 90%, as well as numerous teachers and other district employees, who argued they were having a hard time surviving on their current salaries.

“The community must hear and see that this School Board believes in the future of Broward County Public Schools. We, the employee groups, stand united in that belief,” stated a letter to the board signed by leaders of all five employee groups who represent Broward school employees. “We know that voters and taxpayers support our teachers, our schools, and every employee who contributes to student success.”

High school teacher Tracy Chandler told the board, “The teachers who make daily sacrifices out of love for their students have to resort to begging the public to sacrifice a couple of hundred dollars a year so that teachers can simply afford to stay afloat. We’re begging for a life raft.”

Teachers told board members they can expect a mass exodus if they don’t get better pay.

“Please do the right thing this time and make sure that teachers and staff at schools that can barely afford to live in this district have enough money simply to pay our bills,” Carolyn Flanagan told the board.

Some teachers and other public speakers also voiced concern that voters might not approve the referendum due to a lack of trust in the district.

“We know voters are disillusioned with Broward County schools,” Chandler told the board. “They no longer trust you with their tax dollars. We know this because we feel the same way.”

She said teachers lost faith in the district about 15 years ago during the recession, when the school district removed guaranteed step raises based on tenure.

Some board members also raised concerns that the referendum may not pass.

“I’m nervous for the same reason we need the referendum, which is people are feeling the pinch,” Board member Allen Zeman said. “Gas prices are up. There’s this skirmish going on in the Middle East. And there’s also a decline in confidence in government. And so there is a potential even for Broward County to vote down the referendum.”‘

Board member Adam Cervera voiced his concern about the public reaction to a decision made by the district to give most of the highest-paid employees referendum bonuses that equaled as much as $14,000.

The board voted in January to stop paying those bonuses but did not require employees to repay money they’d already received.

“We took hundreds of thousands of dollars that was meant for our great teachers and school-based staff. And what did we do with it? We gave it to a bunch of folks in this very room and in this building who had no right to that money,” Cervera said at the meeting.

“We also broke trust with the public, which is a big concern to me, especially with this coming back on the ballot come November,” he said.

Others argued the board took action to correct the administrator pay issue. They said the language approved on Tuesday makes clear it won’t happen again.

A document attached to Tuesday’s agenda said the focus for the new referendum will be on school-based employees and defines who those are.

“A ‘school-based position’ refers to a role assigned to a school site that supports students daily, including teachers, school-based administrators, student support staff, and school safety personnel,” the document states. “This definition also includes frontline employees who provide direct services that support students and school operations, such as bus drivers, custodians, and food service workers. Positions that are primarily based in District office roles are generally not included.”

Board member Rebecca Thompson argued that parents are generally happy with what happens at their children’s schools.

“If we continue to beat down our school system, then that is going to be the narrative. And it won’t pass,” Thompson said. “But right now, I have full confidence it’s going to pass because of what’s happening in our schools. Because of how Broward values education.”