As the Orange County school district faces a financial crisis over declining student enrollment and an expanding state voucher system, workers at Disney World and educators are calling on the Walt Disney Company to drop lawsuits it’s filed over local property tax assessments, which could stand to siphon money from the local public school district.
Members of Unite Here Local 737 and Local 362, two labor unions that collectively represent thousands of workers at Disney World, have knocked on over 67,000 doors in Orange County in recent months to raise awareness of the lawsuits — which they cheekily refer to as “the cost of magic.” Canvassers have collected more than 5,000 petitions from community members, urging Disney to back down.
According to Orange County Public Schools, one of the largest school districts in the nation, the school district has set aside $119 million for potential legal settlements, should Disney — and other plaintiffs who have sued over property taxes — settle or win their court cases…