Monroe County School Board members approved a proposed spending plan for the next fiscal year and a millage rate during an Aug. 25 meeting at Coral Shores.
While the millage rate decreased to the lowest number in more than a decade, the 2026-27 proposed budget went up by 3.8%. The largest part of the increase is going toward teacher and staff salaries and benefits.
The proposed budget of $179,920,680 is an increase of $6.5 million from last year. The safety and security line item topped $4 million for the first time.
The proposed total millage rate is 2.817, which is 0.13 less than last year, or about $20.82 for every $10,000 of assessed property value. If a taxpayer sees a higher dollar amount on this year’s tax bill, it’s due to an increase in the property’s assessed value.
The board will hold a final budget hearing at Marathon High School on Tuesday, Sept. 8.
In other matters, the school board members completed Superintendent Ed Tierney’s initial performance review. They unanimously commended his knowledge, initiative and leadership. School board members offered scores ranging from 3, meeting requirements, to 5, outstanding on everything from understanding the budget, promoting the district mission, maintaining high ethical standards and improving reading proficiency among young learners.
“Your evaluation was impressive. It was an incredible first year, and incredibly excited for the second year,” school board member Mindy Conn said. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody in their first year get an evaluation like this and I hope you stay with us for a long time to come.”
Board member Darren Horan said Tierney is the “most transparent person you could ever imagine.”
“He’s always available to the community. You look up transparency in the future, and you’ll see a picture of Ed Tierney,” he said.
Chairman John Dick requested the attorney draw up a new contract with the superintendent, extending it another year. School board members are expected to review a new contract at the next board meeting.
“Being here is better than what I thought it would be. We’re thrilled to be here and hope to be here a long time,” said Tierney.
Tierney and Deputy Superintendent Amber Acevedo presented a report on academic performance with special notice of improvements in language arts across the district. School board member Sue Woltanski noted that some of the statistical gains might have come from a loss of students who were English language learners.
“I’m really proud of the gains that were made, but we’re going to need to know how much of that is a population change,” she said.
Acevedo also pointed out that 64% of the eligible students earn college credit, career certifications or both. The majority of students work and learn well above the typical high school level. Tierney emphasized the importance of good science and math programs with strong teachers in the third and fourth grades because it is difficult to catch up later.
Many students and parents know that Florida’s Bright Futures program, funded by the lottery, can provide tuition assistance as a reward for good test scores, academic performance and community service. The SAT score of 1330, providing full tuition in a Florida state school when combined with other criteria, is a goal for many students. Tierney emphasized that there are other ways to earn Bright Futures awards.
Students who take advanced placement courses throughout high school can be exempt from the testing requirements for the highest level of Bright Futures awards if they earn a score of three or higher on four AP exams plus specialized research and seminar courses available online. They can earn what is called the AP capstone diploma and receive higher weighted scores on their grade point average.
Monroe County students also can take advantage of dual enrollment with the College of the Florida Keys. This program allows high school students to earn high school and college credits simultaneously at no cost for tuition, registration or standard lab fees. There are grade point entry requirements. Some career technical education courses qualify for dual enrollment. Dual enrollment courses have a higher weighted grade point value when figuring the high school GPA. It is possible for students to earn an associate’s degree through dual enrollment that meets the core requirements for Florida colleges and universities.
In this academic year, high school students in the district can begin working toward an advanced international certificate of education (AICE) diploma. The AICE program is popular throughout Florida because the Legislature exempted successful AICE diploma students from the Bright Futures standardized test requirements. Students must successfully complete at least seven AICE courses across specific subject areas. They also complete 100 hours of approved volunteer service or paid work to receive the full Bright Futures tuition benefit.
Tierney said the AICE diploma option is considered to be more friendly for students. Those in the AICE curriculum can choose courses from different subject groups, along with minimum core requirements, to meet the seven-course goal. At this time, the AICE program is available at Key West and Marathon high schools, with 530 students participating.
