The financial landscape of Orange county public Schools is under severe strain, with declining student enrollment and an expanding state voucher system exacerbating the district’s challenges. Amidst this crisis, educators and Disney World workers have joined forces to urge the Walt Disney Company to withdraw its property tax lawsuits, which could significantly impact the school district’s funding.
Over the past few months, members of Unite Here Local 737 and Local 362, representing thousands of Disney World employees, have been actively engaging with the community. They have knocked on over 67,000 doors and collected more than 5,000 petitions, advocating for Disney to drop the lawsuits, which they refer to as “the cost of magic.”
Financial Strain on Orange County Public Schools
Orange County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the nation, has allocated $119 million for potential legal settlements related to Disney’s property tax lawsuits. This financial burden has contributed to the district’s decision to offer a less-than-one-percent raise for public school teachers this year. Despite some improvements in the proposal, the district’s current plan to increase health insurance costs for school staff would still result in a pay cut.
Florida ranks 50th in the nation for average teacher pay, with many educators taking on second jobs to make ends meet. Ladara Royal, a high school college and career specialist, highlighted the stark reality at a press conference in College Park. “Students see their own teachers having to work two to three jobs,” Royal said, emphasizing the struggle of educators despite their advanced degrees.
Disney’s History of Property Tax Lawsuits
For just over a decade, Disney has consistently sued the county property appraiser’s office and tax collector’s office, arguing that the county has handed them excessive property tax assessments. In some cases, Disney has settled, securing millions of dollars in refunds. Last December, the company filed another dozen lawsuits over property tax assessments for various Disney World properties, including Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, and several resorts.
Chared Aguirre, an organizer with Unite Here Local 737, which represents roughly 18,000 workers at Disney World, stated, “Disney has the right to file a lawsuit, but they don’t have to.” Aguirre emphasized that Disney could choose to respect the community’s needs, particularly the financial requirements of public schools and teachers.
Community Solidarity and Future Implications
Dr. Maria Vazquez, superintendent for the Orange County school district, mentioned that if Disney’s property tax settlements cost the district less than $119 million, the remaining funds would be directed towards teacher salaries. However, Clinton McCracken, president of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association, noted that the district’s current proposal still results in a pay cut due to increased health insurance costs.
“What is the use of health insurance if educators avoid care because they can’t afford to use it?” McCracken asked, highlighting the district’s unsustainable financial situation. Starting teacher pay in Orange County is $50,000, while school psychologists’ base pay begins at $58,000. McCracken emphasized that several factors, including state funding, declining enrollment, and property tax lawsuits, have limited the district’s ability to offer more generous pay increases.
The district has prepared a one-mill referendum for the 2026 ballot to renew a tax first established in 2010 to help fund the public school system. McCracken noted that other large districts in Florida use their referendum funding to increase educator pay, but Orange County Public Schools does not. Instead, the district uses some of the revenue to fund new positions, field trips, coaches, and charter schools.
Disney World workers are standing in solidarity with local teachers, with Forrest King, a server at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, joining the canvassing effort. King shared his experience meeting a grandmother who lives near Chickasaw Elementary School, one of seven Orange county schools closing this year due to budget concerns. The grandmother expressed uncertainty about where her grandson with autism would attend school, as he cannot be on a bus without her.
The district has also announced cuts to school social worker positions, mental health counselors, and the elimination of the SAFE program, which historically served to help students facing various challenges. Thomas Nunez, a worker at Disney’s Pop Century resort, shared his experience talking to a 97-year-old grandmother who had to take her grandkids out of school to be homeschooled due to the lack of one-on-one support.
As Disney World workers prepare to bargain a new union contract with the company starting next year, Unite Here Local 737 political research director Ella Wood expressed confidence in Disney’s ability to settle a good contract. “We think there is plenty of money to go around,” Wood said, pointing to the region’s booming tourism industry.
