Voters debate higher property tax

In a darkened classroom at Gainesville High, nearly 30 students sit at computer screens as teacher Tony Malo explains how to grab a picture from the Internet and post it to a Web page.

This is an introductory Web design class and, after this rudimentary exercise, the students will move on to designing Web pages and creating graphics and logos.

"I want to get these kids marketable," Malo said. "I want to show them skills that they can use to go out and make money."

But Alachua County School District officials say money, or a lack of it, could put elective courses like Web design in jeopardy. So, they have put a referendum on the ballot for voters to decide on Nov. 4 whether they would approve an extra mill in property tax to fund school operations.

The University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research says state government continues to shift the funding burden for schools to the local level. Local government's funding for education went from approximately 37 percent in 1998 to more than 45 percent in 2007.

Voters debate higher property tax
- The Gainesville Sun - October 26, 2008