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Okaloosa schools present preliminary budget and millage notices; district cites enrollment dip and voucher impact
Summary
Finance staff outlined preliminary millage notices and a proposed budget showing a small operating decrease driven by declining federal ESSER funds and enrollment shifts tied in part to the state Family Empowerment Scholarship program.
Okaloosa County School District finance staff presented proposed millage notices and a preliminary budget summary at a board workshop, saying school finance officials must advertise tax notices while some state revenue numbers remain pending.
“We are still waiting for the fourth FEFP and the February FTE for 24‑25,” finance presenter Miss Perry told the board. The advertised calculations use the district’s required local effort millage of 3.129 and a discretionary operating millage of 0.748; Perry said the required local effort millage decreased by 0.002 from the prior year but rising property assessments increased total taxes for some property owners.
Perry said the district’s total advertised budget (including nonoperating one‑time items) is about $787 million and that the operating budget decline of about 1.3 percent is largely driven by the scheduled expiration of federal ESSER pandemic funds and lower projected FTE (full‑time equivalent) enrollment. She told the board that when internal service funds (medical) and COP loan activity are included the total dollars the board will adopt are approximately $843.7 million.
Board members pressed staff on how the Family Empowerment Scholarship (state vouchers) affects FTE and revenue. Superintendent Dr. White and others explained the state estimated about 2,900 voucher recipients associated with Okaloosa this year, up from roughly 2,400 the prior year; staff said roughly 600–700 of those recipients had at one point been enrolled in Okaloosa schools. Perry and district staff estimated that last year the voucher program cost the district about $22.4 million in lost revenue; this year staff estimated the impact at approximately $27.1 million.
Perry said the district used some one‑time sources to cover gaps while awaiting state releases of categorical grants and said the state indicated that withheld federal categorical funds would be released to districts soon. The board did not take a final budget or millage vote at the workshop; staff is advertising notices and will present the tentative budget at upcoming public hearings.
