Flagler consultants: state budget gains offset by voucher growth and new mandates

Consultants from the Sarah Consulting Group told the Flagler County School Board on June 24 that while the district will receive a modest net funding increase from the 2025 Florida Legislature, rising mandates and voucher expansion will likely offset much of the gain.

John Serra, the lead consultant, told the workshop that statewide education funding grew unevenly: "There was a minuscule increase in the base student allocation — $41.62 — and no increases to safe schools and the mental health allocation." He said much of the new money flowed to school-choice vouchers and siloed add-on weights rather than to general operating budgets.

The consultants said statewide changes included tax-cut negotiations that slowed the session and produced large recurring cuts championed by the Florida House speaker; the final package…