Miami-Dade County voters renewed a school property tax on Tuesday, Nov. 3, with more than 82% of the vote at the time results were reported, extending funding for teacher salaries and school safety through 2031.

The result means Aventura-area property owners will continue paying the one-mill levy. Local public and charter schools, including those serving families in Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach and Golden Beach, will keep receiving their share of the revenue.

The tax charges $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. A home assessed at $300,000 would generate about $300 for the district, according to WLRN.

District officials estimate the referendum could generate about $500 million a year for Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS), WLRN reported. That is more than double the roughly $232 million a year the tax generated during its first four-year cycle from 2018 to 2022.

Of the collected revenue, 88% goes solely to teacher salaries. The remaining 12% funds the district's police department.

Revenue is shared among district-operated schools and eligible charter schools, WLRN reported. The renewal covers more than 300,000 public and charter school students countywide through 2031, according to WSVN.

Voters first approved the tax in 2018 and renewed it in 2022.

Superintendent reacts at watch party

Superintendent Rafael Villalobos, United Teachers of Dade President Antonio White and school board member Luisa Santos gathered at a watch party at Miami Senior High School on election night.

"We cannot be more proud nor more ready to commit to the investment of our children," Villalobos said, according to WSVN.

In a separate statement, Villalobos said the district is "profoundly grateful to the voters of Miami-Dade County for once again placing their trust in our public schools."

He added that he "definitely did not expect" the margin of support but said he was "not surprised that our voters understand the importance of education."

Spending gap

Florida ranks among the bottom 10 states in per-student spending, according to the National Education Association. For the school year ending in 2025, the state spent an average of $13,487 per student, compared to a nationwide average of $17,619, WLRN reported.

School police Lt. Alejandro Palacio told WLRN that voters "know that they will be protected while they're being educated," referring to the safety funding the levy supports.

In Broward County, just over 67% of voters also renewed their school tax on Nov. 3. Broward's measure runs through 2030.