Orange County (Florida) district seeks renewal of sales tax that would bring in billions for facility upgrades

A half-cent sales tax that helps pay for billions of dollars in facility improvements in the Orange County (Florida) School District is up for a 10-year renewal next month.

The Orlando Sentinel reports that the tax brings in about $350 million a year to support a capital improvement program that has renovated 136 old schools and built 65 new ones since it began more than 20 years ago.

Unless voters renew the tax on Nov. 5, it will expire at the end of 2025. The district says that if voters do not approve, the district’s construction budget would be about $4 billion short in the next 10 years.