Orange school district to lose 3,100 students, millions in funds next year
In a recent memo to employees, OCPS said the expected loss of state money will have 'major implications' on the one of the state's largest school districts and will mean all departments must reduce their operating budgets by 2%.
'We must be strategic and innovative in our approach to budgeting, prioritizing the initiatives that have the greatest impact on student outcomes,' the memo read.
The projected drop in enrollment is the biggest since the 2020-21 school year, which saw a 10,000-student decline in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, district spokesman Scott Howat said. The COVID-era enrollment declines were offset by the arrival of federal COVID-19 funding, but that money dries up this school year.
Declining birth rates and the expansion of the state's school voucher program — which provide state-funded scholarships to any interested student — are driving OCPS's current enrollment drop, Howat said.
The state expanded the voucher program in 2023, wiping out family income requirements, and voucher use has jumped 67% since then. Because schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, declining enrollment means a drop in state money.
Howat said Orange County was not alone in seeing an enrollment loss as 47 out of 67 other Florida school districts are also projecting they'll enroll fewer students next year.
The district is pushing the state Legislature to increase the per-student allocation to help alleviate the funding shortfall, he said, and OCPS' goal is to keep teachers in classrooms.
'Our hope is that we can retain our teachers, all of them,' Howat said. 'We need as many teachers as we can get.'
Clinton McCracken, president of Orange County's teacher's union, said in a statement that the school board has a responsibility to prevent staffing shortages and overcrowded classrooms that could come from a funding shortfall.
'It's critical that the District and School Board prioritize protecting classrooms from cuts,' he said. 'Our students cannot afford larger class sizes or fewer staff.'
Howat said that the district would send teachers additional information about possible school assignment changes once the state budget is finished, which he said could be by the end of the week. Teachers might need to switch schools as the enrollment drops might be more severe at some campuses than at others.
Angie Gallo, a member of the Orange County School Board, said she's concerned for the district's teachers. Before the district considers cutting instructional positions, it needs to look at what programs it could go without.
'People are the best choice for our students. Teachers, high quality teachers,' Gallo said.
As OCPS continues to lose students, and then subsequently lose funding, to school-choice vouchers, Gallo said the district needs to be more competitive.
She said OCPS should look into district-run charter and micro-schools, which could offer parents more choices.
'In order to stay competitive, we're going to have to be innovative,' she said. 'We're going to have to change how public education looks.'
If a proposed state law passes, OCPS also could also lose $17 million from the state for programs like Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate courses, which could cause some high school students to pay out of pocket for materials and exams.
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