[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6343943,"mediaKeyId","2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22","parentId",2251347,"title","Rural superintendents warn declining enrollment and rising insurance costs are squeezing small Florida districts","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3028000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22&start=3028&end=3028","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22/thumbnail_3028000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6343943/Florida/Rural-superintendents-warn-declining-enrollment-and-rising-insurance-costs-are-squeezing-small-Florida-districts","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343943-6d05bd402f09d134c4db7ec05efef614/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189433&Signature=igtE1GU244OnPWud5uM8D4DqwSgt8I4zfvAl8tK3w-6KfpnCPkLleVa0unUfMGY7ayIA5~fuKggiuWPhpvl56bv6SmDSef4Qbm1lMJE0pRZUs4i1uMQ1lTSkSIWAIjQxLfbxsWHJKoJhr8lwrxf4e6baXP5qsSUggWHFOuJckJXzNLJcBTRwgVF3GIE6rNuB4zODXtdebgofm8LtcRxEyglbAVkEm0jC~RXXnTj0PjL~wEMm6fL7ojGb6F~eJdog34Tijh9ZHbuOSlSOHsVv9Ztqio1CdxEGpCboJ2HGJclWU~UZ84w2KwRLfuZtLnZYrU89bI6F42c7UzmQe0N9IA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Florida State Legislature","date","2025-02-04T00:00:00Z","article","Superintendents from multiple small Florida counties told the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 that falling enrollment, rising property and health insurance costs and the state funding model are straining already tight rural school budgets.

Holmes County Superintendent Buddy Brown said his district lost about 200 students in the last 14 months, a drop he said already forced personnel cuts and threatens further reductions. \"I've lost in the last 14 months 200 students from my hallways,\" Brown said, adding that he had reduced staff by 20 positions the prior year and might need to cut as many as 30 more.

Why it matters: Florida districts are funded based on reported full-time-equivalent (FTE) students and local revenue; sudden midyear losses to homeschooling, scholarship programs or private schools reduce future funding and leave small districts with fixed staffing obligations. Several superintendents told the committee that the FEFP forecasting and reconciliation process makes it difficult to respond quickly when students leave after the fiscal year begins.

Key details
- Enrollment and budgeting: Witnesses described a budgeting process that begins 18 to 24 months ahead of the school year and said current forecasting tools do not fully account for recent shifts in school choice and homeschooling. That timing lag, they said, forces districts to either carry unneeded staff or to make midyear cuts when funding is adjusted.
- Insurance exposure: Superintendents described steep, sometimes double-digit increases in health and property insurance. One superintendent said his district currently spends more than $1 million a year on insurance; Daryl Taylor described consortium-level property coverage of $65 million with a 2% deductible capped at $5 million and said navigating claims and renewals required consortium support after Hurricane Michael.
- Shared services as mitigation: Witnesses and consortium leaders identified cooperative purchasing, pooled insurance/risk-management arrangements and shared IT/finance services as key tools for reducing per-district costs. Senators and presenters discussed expanding shared payroll, MIS and finance back-office options as a potential savings strategy.

Examples from testimony
- Calhoun County (Daryl Taylor) reported extensive storm damage after Hurricane Michael and credited the consortium with handling claims and renewals.
- Holmes County (Buddy Brown) described household-level tax-base limits and said his district\u0000which has a low property-value base\u0000cannot compete on teacher pay with adjacent counties; he tied that gap to both recruitment challenges and potential staff reductions.

Policy questions raised
Senators asked about targeted FEFP adjustments (transportation funding and local effort options), and presenters suggested additional state support for property and health insurance pooling, more flexible categoricals and help stabilizing revenue for small, rural districts.

Ending
Superintendents asked lawmakers to examine how the FEFP and state policies account for rapid changes in enrollment and to consider targeted interventions to ease insurance and transportation costs for small rural districts. No committee vote was taken during the hearing.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Committee on Education PreK-12 2/4/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendents representing small counties told the Senate committee that student losses to homeschool and voucher programs, volatile insurance premiums and tight FEFP forecasting are forcing staff reductions and heavier reliance on consortia for cost control.","taxTitle","Education Pre-K - 12, Standing Committees, Senate, Legislative, Florida","taxId",26946,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_46":81,"_48":82,"_50":83,"_52":84,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":85,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":86,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6343950,"Rural districts: more than half of new teachers enter via alternative routes; consortia training seen as essential",5434,882000,6316000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22&start=882&end=6316","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22/thumbnail_882000.jpg","/articles/6343950/Florida/Rural-districts-more-than-half-of-new-teachers-enter-via-alternative-routes-consortia-training-seen-as-essential","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343950-5fffa3961835cff1be0d87a685ca943b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189433&Signature=B2x83SrmheT7ZVmfxLFL2IjITPPGOITTKTdSLkplIV8zWT-HFil6LV21heRmOJcfezJXn5~CtTk9FJbwVJK0Rv6--RPRZoBm4TDc7Dok5DI3K-EDSaCh16bJxLrZ8c4slnq9fzcxFyzbC~Mx~Re~z2~2lAW~rEgRmjFn7-fK9qTwgKXK93YieE3WJRKn1qPolzKiNfW1Pg4tgidLjLrQg0Eu4AGNdw4oWOYM1X7uEBLZQ~trkodrhfRV1iPW5qM-J4NSKKG~Sj1uOBe3eWG2EeCHaQ51NCAzZNLmfhQ7eVIRWZD~Di9fGqgQJR1-xHBouSma14Qi5tjI36TfDmnG~g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Superintendents and regional consortium leaders told the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 that teacher recruitment and retention are among their most urgent operational problems, and that consortia-run training and alternative-certification programs are central to rural staffing strategies.

\"More than 50% of our teachers are coming to us without a professional certificate,\" Patrick Knecht, executive director of the Northeast Florida Educational Consortium, said in his presentation. He and other witnesses described an increasing reliance on alternative-certification pathways, career-switch hires and temporary full-time substitutes to fill classroom roles.

Why it matters: rural districts typically have smaller applicant pools, fewer local preparation programs and salaries that compete poorly against nearby districts and out-of-state employers. Committee testimony tied recruitment gaps to classroom stability, program continuity and student outcomes.

Key details
- Scale of alternative certification: Presenters said more than half of recent hires in some consortia come through alternative programs. NEFEC and Heartland offer state-approved New Teachers Alternative Certification programs that include instructional and classroom-management training; presenters said those programs save teachers approximately $5,000 compared with enrolling directly in community-college alternatives.
- Vacancy and applicant trends: Superintendents reported posting positions that drew zero applicants for some specialties. Districts are recruiting foreign teachers through placement firms, hiring permanent substitute teachers and using consortium coaching to support nontraditional hires.
- Apprenticeship and college partnerships: Panelists described work with local Florida College System campuses (presenters referenced Chipola College as a local partner) and apprenticeship options that allow employees to earn credentials while remaining in district jobs. Mike Swindle said the district has \"about 5 or 6\" participants entering teaching through such college-supported pathways and urged continuation of those programs: \"please please continue it.\" (quote as spoken.)

Local examples and outcomes
- DeSoto County Superintendent Bobby Bennett said his district\u0000historically underperforming\u0000restructured its strategy with consortium help and raised its overall graduation rate to 82%; he credited consortium-provided coaching and strategic planning for part of that improvement.
- Superintendent Robbie Edwards of Lafayette County described relying on NEFEC for professional learning that his small district could not provide internally, especially where a single teacher covers an entire subject for the district.

Possible policy levers discussed
Witnesses asked legislators to consider additional flexibility in how state funds are used for teacher pay and training and to support apprenticeship and teacher-preparation pathways that generate homegrown talent in rural communities.

Ending
Panelists told senators that consortia-backed training and expanded partnerships with the Florida College System are mitigating the teacher shortage but do not fully replace the need for better compensation, recruitment pipelines and targeted support for early-career teachers.","Superintendents and consortium directors told the Senate panel that more than half of newly hired teachers in many rural districts come without traditional certification and that regional training programs and college-apprenticeship options are helping fill classrooms.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_46":93,"_48":94,"_50":95,"_52":96,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":97,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":98,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":71,"_72":73,"_74":73},6343954,"Regional education consortia tell Senate they are a force-multiplier for Florida—s small rural districts",620,44000,664000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22&start=44&end=664","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2251347-fccc3ab713175568a86b27d800e0fa22/thumbnail_44000.jpg","/articles/6343954/Florida/Regional-education-consortia-tell-Senate-they-are-a-force-multiplier-for-Floridas-small-rural-districts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6343954-1ab4972cb4770db863473837ff515367/orig.mp4?Expires=1771189433&Signature=WYValddseCxr-OSW-0IcQtJ3usurHDuDBskn2uveDI4REnVXGYEBUCFr~dfN1BndbfkG~vJ45WmHEUk23fumLOD25J~yloyc03kf4f455-slVcNLNuTh7on0NoL3zGRMho3UE8CI5~B2ZJsmk~G1RUwBjqLb0DGmwO~1pE~QozK6mqcBPzEiIEB7u8vx5OspWH1qgWm5i8rnBBdctxLt4IZl-gjmFFaD4hjniw2EK~JIgE9pw-7ghIOeoGVHusZqSdeelwT-j2-AnEs-YF-45sZa37KfbZamAutLhZfQjnRcycplYcNTTAwYUlgFWeI6vCw6LEzLHfUvRfuDVFAwPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Executives from the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, the Northeast Florida Educational Consortium (NEFEC) and the Heartland Educational Consortium told the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 that the three consortia collectively serve 36 rural Florida school districts and provide shared services that small districts could not sustain on their own.

The consortia\u0000executive directors said the entities exist to deliver economies of scale for instruction, finance, information technology, risk management, procurement and other back-office functions. That combination of services, they said, helps districts with populations as small as about 700 students maintain required state reporting and specialized programs.

\"We wear a lot of hats,\" John Salover, executive director of the Panhandle Area Education Consortium, told the committee as he described one-person departments in many rural districts and the need for consortia-led technical support.

Why it matters: small districts have the same state reporting and program requirements as large systems but far fewer staff and a narrower local tax base. The consortia\u0000which the presenters said are authorized in statute (FS1001.4051) and limited to districts with fewer than 20,000 full-time-equivalent students\u0000serve as a formal vehicle for districts to pool purchasing power, share staff expertise and coordinate regional training.

Most important facts
- Governance and membership: Each consortium is governed by its member superintendents; host districts serve as fiscal agents. Representatives said Washington County serves as fiscal agent for the Panhandle consortium, Putnam County for NEFEC and Highlands County for Heartland. The consortia hold monthly board meetings and make budget and personnel decisions through those boards.
- Core services: Presenters listed instructional supports (regional professional learning, alternative certification programs, progress-monitoring systems), operational services (finance dashboards, HR networks, payroll and student information support), IT and cybersecurity (multi-factor authentication and data visualizations), cooperative purchasing and risk management (self-insured pools and advisory boards).
- Mutual aid and emergencies: Superintendents credited the consortia with coordinating recovery after storms. Daryl Taylor of Calhoun County said his district missed 15 instructional days after Hurricane Michael and that the consortium helped negotiate claims and manage renewals; he said the consortium\u0000as described to the committee\u0000had a $65,000,000 insurance pool with a 2% deductible capped at $5,000,000.

Supporting details and examples
Patrick Knecht, executive director of NEFEC, emphasized leadership development and cross-district projects that use local data to identify priorities such as attendance or instruction; he said NEFEC convenes a summer leadership conference where districts report results of local improvement projects. Donna Garcia, Heartland executive director, described continuous improvement practices that combine quantitative measures (participation rates, course completions, cost savings) and qualitative feedback from participants.

The consortia also partner with state and regional entities: presenters named the Florida Department of Education, Space Florida and Embry-Riddle as partners that help align career and technical education with local economic needs, and said CareerSource and local chambers of commerce participate in advisory and workforce conversations.

Committee questions and follow-up
Senators asked about shared back-office services such as payroll, MIS and finance functions. Presenters said nothing was off the table and that some districts already receive student-data or payroll support through their consortium; several urged greater flexibility to consolidate administrative costs while keeping local control of instruction.

Ending
Committee members praised the consortia for candid testimony on the benefits and limits of regional cooperation. No formal action or vote on statutory change was taken during the hearing; senators signaled interest in exploring whether state policy or FEFP adjustments could better support transportation, insurance and shared services for small districts.","Executive directors and superintendents told the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K through 12 that three regional education consortia serve 36 rural districts, provide shared services from instructional coaching to insurance risk management, and act as mutual-aid networks during disasters.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Rural superintendents warn declining enrollment and rising insurance costs are squeezing small Florida districts

Rural districts: more than half of new teachers enter via alternative routes; consortia training seen as essential

Regional education consortia tell Senate they are a force-multiplier for Florida—s small rural districts