Financials

What the one-half cent sales tax has funded and how every dollar is tracked.

By The Numbers

Financial Transparency: Every Dollar at Work

Since 2019, the one-half cent sales tax has funded thousands of safety, technology, and facility upgrades in schools across Hillsborough County. Every dollar collected is tracked, reported, and reinvested directly into local schools. Here’s where things stand.

$1.5B

Invested in Hillsborough County schools since 2019

1,088+

Projects completed, with every school receiving at least $500,000 in upgrades

205+

Projects in process, on track for completion before the end of 2028

25%

Of tax revenue is paid by tourists and visitors, not just local households

The Community Oversight Committee

Fiscal Accountability

Every dollar collected under the referendum is tracked by an independent Citizen Oversight Committee, six citizens with no affiliation to the school district and no financial stake in any funded project. Referendum finances are independently audited and reported, and spending records have been publicly available since 2019. This isn’t a blank check. It’s the same accountability structure that’s been in place since day one, continuing for the renewal.

Major Projects Completed

A decade of renewal funding has touched every school in the district, from major mechanical replacements to everyday safety upgrades. More than $800M of that work has gone directly to local Tampa Bay area businesses, supporting jobs here at home.

See the Full Picture

These projects are only a sample of what the one-half cent sales tax has funded. See real results from specific schools in our Promises Kept case studies, or search the complete list to find what’s been completed and planned at your own school.