The School Board of Manatee County filed a lawsuit this month that could settle a year-long dispute between the district and a charter school operator demanding a share of sales tax revenue meant to help public schools renovate and build new facilities.
At issue are millions of dollars raised through a half-cent sales tax Manatee County voters approved in 2016 for capital projects, including school renovations and construction.
Since that referendum, Florida law changed to require school districts to proportionally share such tax revenue with eligible charter schools. But the law applies only to taxes approved by voters on or after July 1, 2020 — four years after Manatee County voters approved theirs…