Superintendent Michael Burke told delegation members the district has seen a significant drop in enrollment this year and outlined how state voucher programs and federal eligibility changes are affecting meals and funding.

"We were projected this year to be down 400 students. And then we got to our eleventh day of school, and we were down 5,500," Burke said, adding that the district’s most recent October count showed an additional decline and that the total shortfall is about 6,000 students compared with forecasts.

Burke said district records show at least 1,300 students shifted to the Family Empowerment Scholarships (vouchers), but that the remaining decline stems from several factors including a decline in English‑language‑learner enrollment (down about 1,600 students) and possible family moves tied to immigration or the county’s cost of living. "We feel like, families have maybe self‑deported or left Palm Beach County," he said.

The superintendent also explained challenges tied to the Community Eligibility Program (CEP), which had allowed the district to provide free breakfast and lunch across most schools. Burke said the CEP relies on federal program participation in a countywide calculation and that falling eligibility will mean some schools — he cited three charter schools — will no longer be served 100 percent free next year. "It was nice when we could say 100% of everything is free," he said.

Burke described statewide efforts to identify duplicate voucher students and said the Department of Education is sharing lists to cross‑check enrollment. He said prior duplicate counts contributed to a shortfall in June state payments to districts, noting that duplicate funding issues had left the state short about $3,000,000 in one wire transfer last year.

Board member Erica Whitfield provided nightly dashboard figures for homeless students, saying the district dashboard showed 2,674 students in a homelessness designation as of the previous night and that annual counts typically rise to 5,000–6,000 over the school year. The district described McKinney‑Vento liaison and partner services to support those students.

District staff told legislators they will continue outreach efforts to re‑engage families — including coordination with community pastors — and will support families through SNAP/WIC application assistance to preserve CEP eligibility where possible. No legislative actions were taken at the meeting.