Duval, Clay and Nassau Voters Renew the 1-Mill School Tax With 76%, 78% and 62% Yes in Unofficial Results, and Duval Elects 3 School Board Members

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Voters in Duval, Clay and Nassau counties renewed a 1-mill school property tax on Nov. 3, according to unofficial results posted by News4JAX with all precincts reporting. In Duval County the renewal passed with 257,344 yes votes (76%) to 81,596 no votes (24%), while Clay County voters approved it 70,142 (78%) to 20,277 (22%) and Nassau County voters approved it 30,634 (62%) to 18,605 (38%). The renewals run for four years, and none of them created a new tax.

Duval voters also filled three School Board seats, and each of those races was closer than the tax vote. The results stay unofficial until each county's canvassing board certifies them, which Duval's schedule puts at noon on Monday, Nov. 16.

The Vote Counts by County

The totals above are the unofficial counts reported by News4JAX for the school tax question in each county. Voters in Duval also approved the tax in 2022, according to the Jacksonville Public Education Fund, at a time when the district had more than 400 teacher vacancies. The group says 29 Florida school districts, including all of those around Duval, use the tax for teacher compensation.

What 1 Mill Means for a Homeowner

One mill equals $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value, according to News4JAX. On a home with a $300,000 taxable value, that works out to $300 a year. Because this was a renewal, it continues an existing levy rather than adding a new one.

In Duval, charter schools receive 19% of the money and the district keeps 81%, News4JAX reported. The money pays for teacher, security and staff compensation, plus academic programs, arts, athletics and student activities. Nassau's district says 70% of its money has gone to employee compensation and 12% to school safety, with the rest split between arts and athletics, and Clay's ballot guide says its levy now runs through June 30, 2031.

Three School Board Races, Three Close Finishes

These are unofficial results from News4JAX with every precinct in each district reporting. District 4 was the tightest, with 784 votes between the two candidates. Jacksonville Today reported that the School Board's makeup is expected to stay the same, and Florida Politics noted that Denmark was the only Duval candidate this cycle on the record opposing the renewal.

After the vote, the three winners told News4JAX they want the money to move into the district's regular budget over time. Bradley said, "I would like to see it become part of the general fund budget," and he wants this to be the last renewal the district asks voters to approve. Denmark said, "I believe that we don't need to kick it down the road again," and she wants teachers paid from the district budget before the next renewal.

Other Clay County Results

Clay County voters rejected a charter amendment on commissioner pay, 60,794 no (69%) to 27,910 yes (31%), according to News4JAX. The proposal would have replaced the current $37,000 salary cap with a state formula that was estimated to put commissioner pay at $96,993. In the County Commission District 2 race, Leroy Edwards defeated Lolita Smoak, 9,284 votes (55%) to 7,582 (45%), with all six precincts reporting.

A One-Vote Margin in Atlantic Beach

The Atlantic Beach City Commission Seat 4 race was separated by a single vote in one count reported Nov. 4. The Beach Gazette reported Lisa Herrold with 3,156 votes to Jennifer Lagner's 3,155, while News4JAX reported 3,156 to 3,154. Supervisor of Elections Jerry Holland said state law requires a machine recount when the margin is within 0.5%, followed by a manual review of overvotes and undervotes when it is within 0.25%.

What Happens Before Results Are Final

Duval's tentative canvassing schedule, which is subject to change, lists several steps before the numbers become official.

Overseas ballots that are postmarked or dated by Election Day can still be counted through Nov. 13, so totals can shift slightly. A margin as wide as the Duval tax question is not in doubt, but the narrowest races depend on the final count. Official results are posted by the Duval County Supervisor of Elections at duvalelections.gov.