St. Johns County Superintendent Tim Forson was a guest on The Florida Roundup on Friday, April 4, 2025. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
Published on April 4, 2025 at 3:33 pm
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Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal to eliminate property taxes in Florida would be “very, very tough” on public schools, says the superintendent in St. Johns County, one of Florida’s fastest growing districts.
Superintendent Tim Forson was asked about how the governor’s plan could affect his district during an interview Friday on The Florida Roundup at WJCT Studios.
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“I think, for us, if that’s done without any regard for how do you replace the revenue or the ability of a system to operate, It could be very hazardous,” Forson said.
In addition being St. Johns County’s superintendent, Forson serves as the president of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, a statewide organization that supports school district heads around Florida.
St. Johns County’s school district is consistently ranked among the best in Florida, but rapid growth — in part because of the district’s quality — has led to overcrowding in schools. As a result, the district can’t open schools fast enough.
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The school district opened two new K-8 academies last year, one is set to open later this year and two more are scheduled to come online in 2026.
“And the truth is,” Forson said, “that’s not enough.”
Those schools are being built for students who are already in the district, Forson explained. When Hallowes Cove Academy opens its doors later this year, it is expected to quickly meet its 1,100-student capacity.
“(The) flow of dollars into a school district happen after the house is built, after the family is there,” he said. “You’re heavily dependent on property taxes, and so those property taxes don’t increase until that house is occupied.”
St. Johns County relies on property taxes to fund teacher salaries and build schools. Last year, voters in St. Johns County agreed to pay a little extra on their property tax bills to increase teacher salaries.
That change will go into effect for the next school year, when teachers get an increase of at least $4,500 to their annual salaries. The school district also may use some of the money from that property tax increase to improve crisis response and ensure schools have access to nurses.
