Hillsborough schools launch town halls on half-penny tax renewal

Hillsborough County Public Schools will hold five town halls on the Half-Penny Promise sales tax renewal, starting Tuesday, Sept. 22.

The half-penny tax has funded more than $1.326 billion in school improvements district-wide since 2018, but the district has not released a breakdown of projects completed at Lennard High School in Ruskin or East Bay High School. Apollo Beach and Ruskin families heading to the town halls may want to ask what the tax has meant for their campuses.

First Session Meets Sep. 22 at Newsome High

The first in-person session runs from 6 to 7 p.m. at Newsome High School. A virtual option on Microsoft Teams is available the same day from noon to 1 p.m., according to the district's announcement posted Thursday, Sept. 17.

Local Businesses Got Most of the Funding

More than $716 million of the tax revenue has gone to local businesses. The money has paid for air-conditioning replacements, roof renovations and safety upgrades across the district. The renewal will appear on the November ballot. The campaign website halfpennypromise.com lists it as Referendum 3, though the district's press release does not use that label.

Superintendent Outlines What Town Halls Will Cover

Superintendent Van Ayres said the meetings will cover completed projects, ongoing facility investments and what reauthorization would mean for students.

"The Half-Penny Promise has supported major improvements in our schools, and these town halls will give residents a chance to learn more about the program ... and understand how funds have been invested over time," Ayres said in the announcement.

Oversight Committee to Attend Every Meeting

Members of the district's independent Citizen Oversight Committee will attend each session. The committee, made up of community leaders, reviews spending and confirms funds are used as intended.

Jose Valiente, the committee's chair, told Bay News 9 on June 30 that the tax had collected more than $1 billion and described the half-penny as "painless." Deputy Superintendent Chris Farkas said in that same report that the district had $97 million in summer 2026 projects, including nine large HVAC overhauls and more than 90 smaller jobs.

The district says more information is available at hillsboroughschools.org/half-penny-sales-tax-referendum, though that page returned an error as of Friday, Sept. 18.

Full Schedule of In-Person and Virtual Sessions

In-person