I can't speak for FL, but here's how it works in NY and I'm oversimplifying.....
The tax rate for each individual taxing body is computed separately. To arrive at the tax rate, the total monies needed for the coming fiscal year (which starts with a vote on the school budget), are divided by the total assessments of all the real estate located within the jurisdiction of the taxing body (adding up the assessed value of all the properties). So that whatever the assessed value of any property, the authority will always be able to collect 100% of what is agreed in the budget. The amount your property assessment is raised every year is not relevant, as everybody else is being raised a commensurate amount as well, thus the proportion you each pay of the budget remains the same, and you are paying your fair share of the amount needed.
For example, a taxing district's budget indicates that $300,000 must be raised, and the assessment roll within the district equals $10 million. There are various ways to express the tax rate in this example, but the simplest might be $3 per $100 of assessed value. This is applied to the assessed value of your property and you receive a bill.
But remember that the assessed value of your property is not the same thing as the full value, or market value, or what someone would pay for the property. It is only significant when viewed relative to your neighbor's property, to ensure that you are paying your fair share of the budget.
It more complicated than that ....but I'll leave it there for now...
If you think they have made an error in your assessed value, you can present objections and ask for an adjustment. This process is called a "grievance" and is also used as a verb, you can "grieve" your taxes. Problems should be discussed with the local assessor first, whose office is in probably located in your local Town Hall. He or she can show you the description on file for your property, lot size, floor space etc. You can also compare with neighbors to check whether yours are unreasonably high. If you grieve your taxes, the tax assessor can also raise them if they think appropriate. There are various other steps you can take if you don't receive satisfaction there, including a tax certiorari proceeding in a regular court, but hopefully, it wouldn't progress that far.
The most important thing to grasp in all of this is that the assessed value of your property and the changes the tax assessor has made to it over time are not good indicators of how much it may have increased or decreased in value over a period of time. Even if you're being charged based on full-value assessment, it's still only one factor used to calculate your bill.
Also, it looks to me like you may have a special assessment on your property. Special assessments are used when improvements are only going to benefit a limited area, typically sidewalks, curbs, street lighting in a new subdivision. Only the property owners in that subdivision/ development will be charged for them, and it's important to check before you buy something if any may be applied. This could raise your taxes above the level of a similar property in the same neighborhood.
Finally, there are tax exemptions/ discounts available depending on your situation - if it's your main residence, you may pay less than a second home owner. If you're elderly and earn only a modest income. I don't think these would apply to you, but might be useful for someone else.
Tax rolls close on very specific dates, so any adjustment made may take 18 months to take effect, depending on when it's made.
I don't know what this is, "School discretionary $206.04". If it's discretionary, then you might be able to opt out of paying it.
Yes, I see a trip to the library in your future, could be a useful source of more information about this. ......
