Our children’s future is one of the most important considerations when making decisions as parents and as a community. If you could change their future for the better for just half a cent, wouldn’t you?

This November on election day, we have a decision to make. One that can change the lives of students for generations to come. A half-cent sales surtax referendum will be proposed which would directly fund the Hendry County School District and our children – the future of our community.

If passed in November, the half-cent sales surtax will give the School District opportunities to improve old schools from installing new roofs to flooring, to the purchase of new air conditioning units. Technology and safety upgrades are also proposed, as well as the reduction of the usage of portables as classrooms, and upgrades to our buses. There is also consideration for building new schools, meeting modern standards and better equipping our kids for the future.

The Hendry County School District, and the county, have experienced enormous growth, adding more students year over year. Between 2020-2025, Florida’s Economic & Demographic Research Office projects Hendry County to have a 5% population increase. The half-cent surtax will be critical to not only addressing the needs of today but preparing for the future – improving learning conditions, avoiding further overcrowding, and adding more safety and technology.

I understand times are hard right now with inflation and other concerns. However, I would encourage you to consider how small the personal impact of this half-cent surtax would be in light of the change it could make for our children.

The proposed half-cent surtax will be implemented on leisure purchasing like fast food and vehicles. The tax will exclude, of course, purchases needed for daily life, like groceries, gasoline, and medicine. The average cost for a Happy Meal will only increase $0.02, a sheet of plywood would be just $0.24 more.

Your children and others in Hendry County schools will directly benefit from this surtax.

The half-cent surtax is a small expense that could have a great impact on our children and their futures. Generations to come will be thankful for the decisions we make this year. Resources on the surtax and the projects proposed by the Hendry County School District can be found on the District website at www.hendry-schools.org/halfcent.

A half-cent just makes sense.