Our Mission

The mission of the
Seminole County Public Schools
is to ensure that all students acquire
the knowledge, skills, and attitudes
necessary to be successful in life.


Dr. Walt Griffin
walt_griffin@scps.k12.fl.us
(407) 320-0006
Superintendent


Transparency Florida

EDUCATION: The Key To Informed Votes

This election year there are many items on the ballot, and all of them deserve your careful consideration. We want to draw your attention to one referendum in particular. You will find it on the back side of your ballot, as the last item. Easy to find!

 Hayden and Addison
Seminole County residents are known for carefully considering all ballot initiatives. Below are the hard questions, with answers provided that will “tell it like it is.”
How do our schools rank today?
Despite painfully deep cuts at the local, state and federal levels, Seminole County Schools:
  • Has consistently earned a district grade of “A” since 1999;
  • Is ranked first among Central Florida school districts in FCAT reading,math and writing;
  • Is the #1 school district in the State of Florida for delivering our taxpayers with the best Return on Investment (ROI).*
So why the referendum?
Good question. Our school district has been “making do” with less for too many years. We’ve lost 750 school district jobs over the past four years. Now the district is forced to look at cutting programs, such as music, the arts and even athletics.
What will it cost if it passes?
The average cost per home will be less than $9 a month. That’s taking into account the median taxable property value of a home in Seminole County ($130,000) before the standard $25,000 Homestead Exemption is applied. At the new millage rate, the average school tax bill still would be lower than it has been in the years 2006-2010.
How will it be spent?

The additional millage would be applied to critical needs such as:
  • Attracting and retaining highly qualified teachers
  • Enhancing career and vocational education programs to help students get jobs
  • Preserving outstanding student academic, athletics and arts programs
  • Ensuring students excel by providing up-to-date technology for computer-based testing
  • Maintenance and repair of aging school facilities and buses
 

What is a “mill” as it relates to the referendum?
Mill is a term that refers to a government tax assessment of $1 per $1,000 of taxable property value. For example, if your home has a taxable value of $100,000, the tax payment per mill is $100 per year.

Why now?
Many of us believed the Great Recession would be over by now. Our schools can’t take any more budget cuts, and our kids and teachers shouldn’t have to. Seminole County Public Schools has proven to be a strong and trusted steward of taxpayer dollars, and we can count on that to continue.

What can you do?
Education is key to casting an informed vote.
Get the facts and you will see why it is vitally important to vote, whether absentee, early voting or on November 6, Election Day.


MESSAGE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT

Our school board voted to put the future of our schools in your hands. As superintendent, I urge you to give thoughtful consideration to these two questions:

What will SCPS look like if the referendum is passed?
What will SCPS look like if the referendum fails?

Please share this important information with your friends.  Be sure to vote either by absentee ballot, early voting or on November 6th,
 

“We’ve already cut more than 750 jobs.
We are running out of things to cut.”

   

SEMINOLE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT AD VALOREM MILLAGE ELECTION
BALLOT QUESTION: Shall Seminole County School District ad valorem millage be increased by up to one mill beginning July 1, 2013, and ending no more than four (4) fiscal years later on June 30, 2017, for essential operating expenses to: preserve “A” rated academic, vocational, arts, and athletic programs; retain highly qualified teachers; and repair and maintain school buildings with annual reporting to the county’s citizens to ensure fiscal stewardship of the funds?

                     YES FOR APPROVAL

                     NO FOR REJECTION

*SOURCE: Center for American Progress www.americanprogress.org                Para ver esta información en español vaya a www.scps.us
This document complies with the provisions of s. 106.113, Fla. Stat.; opinions issued by the Division of Elections, Office of the Secretary of State for the
State of Florida; and People Against Tax Revenue Mismanagement v. County of Leon, 583 So.2d 127 (Florida Supreme Ct. 1991)

   
To print the information presented above, click here
To print the information presented above in Spanish, click here 
   
To view powerpoint containing more information about Seminole County Public Schools and the referendum, click here