CLERMONT, Fla. -- As students head back to school in Lake County, the district is rallying for a referendum.

“We don’t want to ask for additional dollars. We know that public schools are funded by tax dollars already. So we looked at tentative costs," said Lake County School Board Chairman Stephanie Luke.

On Aug. 28, voters will approve or deny an additional 0.75-mill property tax, raising $16 million the district said they need in order to put law enforcement officers in every building, employ more mental health specialists and guidance counselors; and "harden" schools with safety-enhancing measures.

“We know to hire a law enforcement officer requires more dollars than we can afford. And the sheriff doesn’t have it in his budget to hire them just for the schools, either," said Luke. "So we are looking to form a partnership between the municipalities, the sheriff’s office and school district to hire these people to protect our kids.”

The School Board chairman said that the initiative was born out of the tragedy in Parkland, requiring schools to add security throughout their districts.

Luke said the increase will get rolled into property taxes, costing a homeowner about $56 per year for a $100,000 home with homestead exemption.

“We felt like that was enough, just enough to cover. We didn’t want to overtax," she said.

The referendum comes as deputies, officers or "guardians" -- ex-military or police personnel -- joined forces to cover the more than a dozen Lake County elementary schools.

In the past, law enforcement only staffed middle and high schools.

“If you’re taking your kids to elementary school, you might see law enforcement there for the first time. And a lot of parents may panic -- why is law enforcement here?" said Sgt. Fred Jones with the Lake County Sheriff's Office. "But, that’s part of the new statute passed by the governor, as far as having a law enforcement officer or a guardian in every school.”

Jones spent Friday prior to the start of the school year leading law enforcement from across Lake County in crisis training, teaching de-escalation techniques.

According to Luke, some Lake County administrators are also being trained with the guardian program, but have yet to be appointed to fill in the gaps.

But, if the referendum doesn’t pass, Luke said they won’t meet state guidelines, increasing their reliance on "guardians" and administrators.

“We need it to be approved. It’s a must, it’s a must if we want to hire police officers and sheriff’s deputies," she said.

If approved, the tax would begin July 1, 2019, and end June 30, 2023.