Broward school referendum passes, 2 incumbents win, 1 in runoff

Broward voters appeared to say yes to doubling their property taxes when they passed the Broward Schools’ referendum Tuesday night, calling for the school district to raise $267 million over the next four years to pay for teacher raises and hire additional school safety and mental health staffers.

As of 9 p.m, the measure was winning by 57 percent to 43 percent, with 98 percent of the precincts counted late Tuesday evening. Early votes were completely counted and vote by mail was partially counted, the Broward elections department said.

Broward Schools Superintendent Vickie Cartwright celebrated the referendum win: ”We are truly grateful for the voters’ support, and we remain steadfast in our commitment to educating today’s students to succeed in tomorrow’s world.”

But while voters supported the district’s initiative, the 9 p.m. results showed they likely reelected two incumbents and forced the third into a Nov. 8 runoff election. School board candidates must win 50 percent of the vote, plus 1 additional vote to avoid a runoff.

READ MORE: Broward district is voters to double tax rate to boost teacher pay, school safety

Three of the nine school board members sought reelection this year.

Nora Rupert and Lori Alhadeff, two of the incumbents, were on their way to winning with 59 and 61 percent of the vote, respectively. Rupert, first elected in 2010, is a former board chair. Alhadeff won her first election in 2018 after her 14-year-old daughter Alyssa died at the Feb. 14, 2018, mass shootings at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

“Tonight’s win is gratifying because it affirms that voters support the important work to which I’ve committed myself over the course of the past four years,” Alhadeff said

Donna Korn, who served as board chair in 2014 and 2020, was locked in a tight race Tuesday night with Allen Zeman, a former senior executive at the Pentagon, in the race for the District 8 at-large seat. As of 9 p.m., each was hovering with around 30 percent of the votes in the four-person race.

The elections attracted 21 candidates among the six races. But it was the referendum that garnered the most attention, as both the district and the teachers union pushed it hard.

The president of the Broward Teachers Union Anna Fusco said she had no doubt it would pass.

“I feel great. I’m happy; I’m getting a lot of people saying they’re happy,” she said.

The measure is an extension of the district’s 2018 referendum, which is set to expire this year. It will run from 2023-2027.

The Broward district said it estimated that $214 million from the referendum’s proceeds would go to traditional public schools and $53 million would go to charter schools.

The bulk of the district’s funds — at least 75%, or $160 million — will be allocated for raises for teachers and other eligible staffers, the district estimated. Up to 17%, or $36 million, will fund 500 safety personnel and 8%, or $17 million, will fund 100 mental health professionals.

The referendum calls for the millage rate to jump to 1.0 mill, up from .50 mill, a 100 percent increase in the district’s property tax rate over the next four years.

The homeowner with an average taxable property value of $390,000 would pay about $23 each month or $276 a year — double the cost of the 2018 referendum. The condo owner with an average taxable property value of $190,000 would pay about $13 each month, or $156 per year, again double the 2018 cost.

Results from Broward School Board races

District 1

Earlier this year, Ann Murray chose not to seek reelection after 14 years representing District 1.

Three candidates vied for her spot: her daughter and a reading, film and journalism teacher, Marie Murray Martin; real-estate property manager Rodney “Rod” Velez; and pastor and businessman Paul Wiggins.

Tuesday’s preliminary results showed Velez and Murray Martinwill likely face each other in a Nov. 8 runoff.

District 4

Incumbent Alhadeff won solidly against her opponent, Kimberly Coward, a Coral Springs attorney and former guidance counselor.

District 5

Former District 5 member Rosalind Osgood left the school board last November to become a state senator. Gov. Ron Desantis appointed Daniel Foganholi to the vacant seat in April, but he didn’t run in the August primary.

The open seat, which represents northeast Plantation, northwest Fort Lauderdale, Lauderdale Lakes, Lauderhill and east Sunrise, triggered a crowded race with seven candidates.

On Tuesday, the top two vote-getters were Jeff Holness, the director of Kumon Math and Reading Center and a former communications university professor, and Ruth Carter-Lynch, the president and CEO of a marketing firm. They will face each other in the Nov. 8 runoff. In 2020, Holness lost to Debra Hixon for the District 9 seat at large.

They defeated five other candidates:

District 6

Laurie Rich Levinson, the current board chair, did not seek reelection after 12 years on the board.

Brenda Fam, an insurance lawyer, and Steven R. Julian, a former wrestling coach who’s pursuing a master’s degree in mental health counseling, were poised to advance to a Nov. 8 runoff election.

Chris Canter, a Title I grant compliance specialist and former middle school principal, was the third candidate.

District 7

Incumbent Rupert was poised to defeat her challenger, Merceydes Morassi, an adjunct psychology professor at Florida International University.

District 8

Korn, the incumbent, was locked in a close race with Zeman, the former Pentagon executive, with each garnering about 30 percent of the vote. Korn, a former English teacher, has represented the entire county in the at-large seat since 2012, serving as board chair in 2014 and 2020.

But Korn was one of the board members cited in last week’s grand jury report. The report, released Friday, recommended Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis remove five school board members for “incompetence and neglect of duty.” DeSantis convened the grand jury, which investigated mismanagement of Broward schools, after the Stoneman Douglas shooting.

The report said DeSantis should remove Korn, along with Levinson, who did not seek reelection; Vice Chair Patricia Good; Murray, who also did not seek reelection; and Osgood, who resigned to successfully run for the Florida Senate.

Korn and Zeman beat Raymond E. Adderly III, a political science student at Florida Atlantic University, and Mourice “Mo” Hylton, a chess coach.

This story was originally published August 23, 2022 9:55 PM.