After hovering in the background for months, a voter referendum to renew a $30 million tax increase for Pinellas schools came into sharp focus Tuesday. The Pinellas school board voted 7-0 to steer the referendum to the Nov. 6 ballot, a move that will begin to accelerate chatter around the biggest issue facing Pinellas schools this year. "Even in grocery stores, as I'm going along, it's like, 'When is the renewal coming up?' " said board member Carol Cook. "These are community members ... (whose) children are enjoying and appreciating ... what this referendum has been able to give them." Story here.