Board hears tight budget forecast, enrollment declines and the Schools of Hope threat; superintendent to bring cuts and revenue options before the holidays

Superintendent Hanna told the board on Oct. 14 that Leon County Schools is facing a constrained budget outlook after the 2025 legislative cycle and that the district is preparing a list of cuts and revenue options for board consideration before the winter break.

The superintendent said the district reappointed staff in March under assumptions that state decisions would be finalized later; after the legislature completed its work the district learned the net increase amounted to roughly $41'$42 per student (about $1.2 million total) and the district's expenses were projected to increase by $5'$6 million. To preserve the state-required 3% fund balance, the district said it immediately restricted travel, reduced district operating budgets by 10%, froze some hiring and transferred bus-driver salaries (a one-time and recurring action cited as about $7.5 million over the budgeting horizon) to balance the current year.

Board members raised long-term enrollment declines at multiple schools (schools operating at roughly 60'75% capacity in some cases) and warned those under-capacity sites are vulnerable to co-location under the state's Schools of Hope program. Board Member Smith said the Schools of Hope application window and co-location statute include explicit formulas and timelines and urged the board to prepare now. Board members proposed a January retreat to examine enrollment, capacity, millage and consolidation scenarios.

The superintendent said the district already has undertaken some external review steps (inviting an experienced CFO from another district through the state association, and planning site visits to other districts) and will provide a comprehensive list of proposed cuts and revenue measures before the end of the year. She said there are no painless options: potential savings would likely come from administrative, plant and support staffing adjustments rather than teacher layoffs (district staff noted teacher positions tend to follow students), and some proposals will carry difficult implementation impacts.

Several board members suggested the district consider partnerships, co-locations with community providers, alternative uses of underused space, affinity revenue streams such as the addition-financial debit-card program, and exploring local millage for additional revenue. Board members also discussed whether to commission an outside operational review; opinions varied, with some members preferring internal review and others open to consultant support if narrowly scoped.

Ending: The superintendent committed to individual briefings with board members and to return with a prioritized list of budget cuts and revenue options before the winter break; the board agreed to schedule an extended retreat in January to make decisions about enrollment, capacity and fiscal strategy.