Osceola presents draft 2026 general and capital budgets; public hearings set for July 29 and Sept. 9

Osceola County School District staff presented the draft 2025-26 general fund and five-year capital budgets at a June 24 workshop, noting the plan is informational and that no board action will be taken until required public hearings later this summer. "This is just a workshop today. No action is being taken on the budget for next year at this point," district staff member Sarah Graber said.

The presentation laid out projected district enrollment of about 84,955 full-time-equivalent students for next year — a 3.19% increase — and a draft ending general fund balance of roughly $84.2 million. Staff said they built a breakeven operating budget for 2025-26 that would hold fund balance near current levels (a financial-condition ratio of about 8.9% falling to about 8.67% under the draft), above the board’s 6% minimum and the state-required 3% minimum.

Why it matters: the draft ties staffing, program funding and capital work to state funding and local revenue forecasts. Staff emphasized that the budget depends on the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) conference report and on the property appraiser’s certified tax roll, both of which could change final numbers.

Key budget drivers and program changes

• State funding and FEFP: Staff said the district is using the FEFP conference report (awaiting the governor’s signature) and third-count enrollment data; the base student allocation was shown increasing by $41.62 (as presented). The district also reported a rise in dollars per FTE of about $153 (1.79%) in the conference report figures. Graber and other staff emphasized that a…