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Hillsborough Voters Approve Education Sales Tax

Wikimedia Commons

Hillsborough County voters approved an education amendment that will provide hundreds of millions in additional school funding for over the next 10 years.  

The initiative, along with a one-cent sales tax approved for transportation, brings the county's sales tax to 8.5 percent, which is the highest in the state. 

With 99 percent of precincts reporting, the referendum passed by 56 percent to 44 percent.It's estimated that the sales tax will raise $138 million annually for the school district. It will cost a typical household in Hillsborough County $63 a year. The money will help the district replace and repair air conditioning units, construct new schools, and enhance school security. 

A seven-member Citizen Oversight Committee will oversee how the money is spent and make sure projects are completed. For more information click here.

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Jeslyn Santiago is a WUSF/USF Zimmerman School digital news intern for fall 2018.