Dunbar falls to St. Augustine 35-14 in state semifinalFirst Baptist falls to Trinity Catholic in state semifinals
Man teaches classroom full of children. (Credit: Neonbrand Unsplash) Our tax money is helping kids in Charlotte County succeed by bringing back programs killed by budget cuts and recruiting high-quality teachers. Fifty-six percent of Charlotte County voters approved a tax referendum last year to bring in an extra $19 million to public schools. So far, the district spent about $1.7 million of that money. The referendum is in place for four years. The school district hopes it makes it back on the ballot in the 2022 election. Charlotte County Public Schools said the referendum helped the district raise starting salaries and recruit high-quality teachers. Parents WINK News spoke with, including Alexis Romero, support the additional compensation. “We make sure that our students are happy and healthy, they are ready to learn,” said Tina Mihalakis, achievement and family associate at Peace River Elementary School. “They really do a lot of work,” Romero said. “And I think that they should be compensated for all the hard work they do for our kids.”