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Palm Beach schools brace for potential $40.9M shortfall; staff proposes offsets, holds salary increases
Summary
CFO Heather Frederick outlined a FY 2026 budget framework that assumes a worst‑case state funding plan and measures to balance the budget, including reallocations, set‑aside reductions and program prioritization; trustees pressed for clarity on impacts to high‑school add‑on funding and ACE/dual‑enrollment programs.
Palm Beach County Schools’ finance team told the board the district faces a possible $40.9 million shortfall under the House’s budget proposal and outlined measures intended to balance the FY 2026 budget without new broad salary commitments.
Chief Financial Officer Heather Frederick presented a “presumed worst‑case” scenario built on the House budget position. She said the guidance produced an $11.5 million FEFP (state education formula) hit plus recurring adjustments (teacher compensation categoricals, health premiums, staffing alignment) that increased the gap to $40.9 million. Frederick said staff reallocated reserves, trimmed contingency set‑asides, adjusted fringe assumptions and recommended targeting $23 million of reductions to high‑school…
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