Osceola County voters will weigh school property tax hike in November

Osceola County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve an additional property tax for local schools, a measure district leaders say would help retain teachers and preserve programs. The vote comes as the Osceola County School District highlights its schools and goals at its annual State of Education event on Wednesday morning.The proposed operational millage would add 1 mill for four years, or $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. That means a home with a taxable value of $200,000 would see an estimated $200 increase in annual property taxes.According to Zillow, the average home value in Osceola is $359k, which means the average homeowner would be paying $359 if the measure passes.The district says the additional money would support competitive employee compensation and benefits, school safety and security personnel, academic programs, arts, music, athletics and student activities. The district recently announced cuts of more than 700 positions and nearly $16 million in s