Pasco School Board Sets Tentative 2026-27 Budget — Wesley Chapel Homeowners Will See It on Their August TRIM Notice

WESLEY CHAPEL / PASCO COUNTY, FL — If you own a home in Wesley Chapel, your August TRIM notice is coming — and now you know what the school portion of your property tax bill will look like. The School Board of Pasco County adopted tentative 2026-27 millage rates and a budget on July 28, setting the ceiling that will show up on Wesley Chapel homeowners' August TRIM notices.

The TRIM notice — Truth in Millage — is the annual statement Florida homeowners receive each August showing their property's assessed value and the proposed tax rates from every taxing authority that draws from their property taxes: the county, school board, fire rescue district, mosquito control district, and others. It's not a tax bill, but it sets the framework for what you'll actually owe.

Why This Matters Right Now 

The school board's adoption of tentative rates comes at a moment of significant financial pressure for Pasco County Schools. The district recently announced it is cutting nearly 500 positions to address a budget shortfall driven by declining enrollment in traditional public schools — a trend fueled by school choice expansion and charter school growth even as Wesley Chapel's residential population continues to climb. The 2026-27 budget adopted this week reflects those pressures.

What Homeowners Should Do 

When your TRIM notice arrives in August, review every line — not just the school millage but also the Pasco County general fund rate, the fire district rate, and the mosquito control district rate. If you believe your property's assessed value is incorrect, the TRIM notice period is your window to formally contest it. Deadlines are strict — missing them typically means waiting until the following year.

Upcoming Public Hearings 

The tentative budget is just that — tentative. Final millage rates are set at public hearings in September. Residents who want to weigh in on school spending priorities can attend those hearings and speak during public comment. Dates will be posted at pascoschools.org.

📍 Pasco County School District — pascoschools.org 

📅 Tentative budget adopted: July 28, 2026 

📅 TRIM notices mailing: August 2026 

📅 Final budget hearings: September 2026 

🌐 pascoschools.org for budget documents and hearing dates