Marion County School One-Mill Levy Renewal on the Nov. 3 Ballot: What It Funds and What It Costs

Countywide on the Nov. 3, 2026 general election ballot, Marion County voters will decide whether to continue the Marion County School District's one-mill operating levy for four more years, from July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031. According to the district's FASTfacts update of March 10, 2026, the levy generates about $41 million a year. Voters first approved it in 2014 and renewed it in 2018 and 2022.

This article explains what the ballot says and what the district says the money pays for. Only In Ocala does not take positions on ballot questions.

Digitally generated illustration. Not a photo of a Marion County classroom.

At a Glance

• What: continuation of the school district's one mill ad valorem operating levy


• Term if renewed: July 1, 2027, through June 30, 2031


• Revenue: about $41 million a year, according to the district


• Cost: one mill is $1 of tax for every $1,000 of taxable property value


• History: approved in 2014, renewed in 2018 and 2022; 65% voted yes in 2022


• Oversight: the Independent Citizens Referendum Oversight Committee (ICROC)


• Who votes: all Marion County voters; the question is countywide

What the Ballot Says

The question is titled "Approval of continuing one mill ad valorem tax for School District operating expenses." It appears on the Supervisor of Elections' 2026 general election sample ballot in English and Spanish, with Yes and No choices:

Shall the Marion County School District's one mill ad valorem millage be continued, beginning July 1, 2027, and ending June 30, 2031, for necessary operating expenses including safe schools, reading, physical education, art, music, early learning, library/media, and vocational programs; and retaining State Certified teachers and paraprofessionals with oversight of these expenditures by an independent citizens financial oversight committee?

The FASTfacts update says School Board members approved this wording unanimously and sent it to the Board of County Commissioners for final ballot approval. The district describes the measure as having a four-year sunset provision.

What Does the Levy Pay For?

According to the district, the levy pays operating costs for art, music, physical education, library and media services, and vocational positions, along with related programs. It also pays for outreach to recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and contributes to Safe Schools initiatives. New in this version is support for early learning for the district's youngest students. The district's oversight committee page lists $37.3 million "budgeted for schools in FY 2024-25" under the referendum. It notes that the money supports day-to-day operations, not construction.

The 2022 ballot wording, still quoted on that committee page, did not mention early learning. It did include "meeting class size requirements," a phrase the 2026 wording drops. The current term ends June 30, 2027.

What Does One Mill Cost a Homeowner?

The committee page defines one mill as $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property value. The Marion County Tax Collector's Ad Valorem page gives the method: multiply the taxable value by the millage rate and divide by 1,000. At one mill, a property with $150,000 in taxable value pays $150 a year, and one with $250,000 pays $250. The Tax Collector bases the tax on property value less any exemptions. Amendment 3, also on the Nov. 3 ballot, would increase the homestead exemption "for all non-school taxes," according to its ballot summary.

Who Oversees the Money?

The oversight committee page describes the Independent Citizens Referendum Oversight Committee as a group of local citizen volunteers. It meets four times a year, reports directly to the Marion County School Board, and issues a required annual report on how the referendum money is spent. The same page reports that 65% of voters approved the 2022 renewal and 35% voted no.

Related Coverage

Our Marion County voting guide covers early voting sites, ID rules and every other contest on the ballot. Our election results page will report the outcome after the polls close Nov. 3. This year's property tax bills, on which the School Board's rates appear alongside the county's, are covered in Marion County property tax bills due Nov. 1. For schools across the county, see our Marion County schools directory.

Sources: Marion County Public Schools FASTfacts, March 10, 2026 (Vol. 21, Issue 15), "Language Approved for November Ballot" (marionschools.net); Marion County Public Schools, Funding Referendum Oversight Committee page (marionschools.net); Marion County Supervisor of Elections, 2026 General Election sample ballot (PDF, votemarion.gov); Marion County Tax Collector, Ad Valorem page (mariontax.com). Checked Oct. 21, 2026.