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OCPS superintendent: state funding rise small; district faces enrollment and choice pressures
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Vasquez reported June 24 that Orange County Public Schools projects a modest per‑student funding increase from the state but a net funding squeeze due to declining traditional enrollment, expanded choice programs and rising costs; district departments have taken 2% reductions while staff priorities remain salaries.
Orange County Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Vasquez told the school board June 24 that the district’s preliminary state funding for 2025–26 will provide only a modest increase per student and that shifts in enrollment and school choice programs mean the district faces fiscal pressure.
Vasquez said the district’s projected full‑time equivalent (FTE) for funding purposes is 230,961 for next year. “Our full time equivalent for next year... 230,961,” he told the board. He said the base student allocation for the year will be $5,372.60, an increase of $41.62 (about 0.78%). The superintendent said the increase in reported FTE comes primarily from school choice programs, including charters and the Family Empowerment Scholarship, while the district’s traditional schools showed a projected decrease of about 3,000 FTE.
Those dynamics matter because funding for choice programs is treated differently and, as Vasquez noted, some scholarship funds are not a pass‑through and may not remain with the district. “That money, whether it's used or not, it goes right back to them,” he said, warning that some reported state funding on the ledger is not available for district operations.
Vasquez said the net new dollars the district expects to receive from the state, after certain adjustments, are roughly $6.7 million (district accounting per the superintendent’s presentation), and that central departments have implemented a 2% cut. “We have cut at the district level. Those departments have done a 2% cut,” Vasquez said. He added that the board’s priority of increasing salaries remains central as staff and the board continue budget planning.
Board members responded with concern about purchasing power and wider context. Vice Chair Byrd said she was troubled by the contrast between the district’s funding increase (0.78%) and local inflation measures and urged more public advocacy around state funding policies. Vasquez and board members noted that public outreach to Tallahassee helped preserve advanced‑course funding earlier in the process.
The superintendent recommended continuing line‑by‑line budget adjustments and refining the numbers as state allocations and FTE confirmations finalize. He told the board he would provide updated budget figures as the district completes its internal calculations.
