Hillsborough Schools Launch Free Full-Day VPK, Paid for by 2024 Tax Referendum

Hillsborough County Public Schools is now offering free, full-school-day Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten for eligible 4-year-olds for the first time, using money from the property tax referendum voters approved in 2024. The state only funds a half-day VPK program, roughly three hours. The district is now covering the rest of the day itself, at no extra cost to families who previously had to pay for wraparound care to fill the gap.

At Cork Elementary School in Plant City, VPK teacher Brianne Cloutier has watched this shift up close. Cloutier has taught VPK for more than 20 years, and she said the old three-hour window meant cramming Florida's early-learning standards, letters, sounds, counting, shapes and patterns, into far too little time. With a full day now, she described the change as a breath of fresh air, giving teachers room to actually work through the material instead of rushing past it.

Superintendent Van Ayres said the extended VPK day is built around a simple idea: the earliest years of a child's education set up everything that follows, and the program is meant to give the district's youngest learners a stronger literacy foundation before they walk into kindergarten.

Where the money comes from

Hillsborough voters approved the millage referendum in November 2024. District figures show it generates about $177 million a year, with a share also going to charter schools under state law. Most of that money, 92%, goes toward raising pay for teachers and staff, with annual salary adjustments of $3,000 or $6,000 depending on the position.

A smaller slice funds what the district calls academic experiences, including full-school-day VPK access for nearly 2,000 students at no cost. The same referendum is also paying for $1.9 million in field trips covering admission and transportation for roughly 135,000 students, a five-year, $37 million effort to upgrade physical education equipment at 212 school sites, and college and career counselors at all 29 Hillsborough high schools.

For families, the practical difference is a full school day of VPK instead of a half day that often required paying separately for afternoon child care. For Cloutier's classroom at Cork Elementary, it means the same list of state standards taught at a pace that fits, rather than squeezed into a morning.

The district has not said whether the full-day model will expand beyond the current eligible enrollment or how funding decisions might shift when the millage comes up for review before it expires in mid-2029. Families with 4-year-olds who want to check VPK eligibility and enrollment can find details through the district's own millage referendum page.

Want more on how Hillsborough schools are spending referendum dollars? Follow our ongoing coverage on Tampa Community Website and on Facebook, and join the conversation about this story in our Community Forum. For more updates on classrooms, funding and programs across the district, check out our education stories.