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Leon County School Board adopts tentative millage and budget, shifts $7.5M from capital outlay
Summary
The board adopted tentative millage rates totaling 5.366 mills and a tentative 2025–26 budget estimated at $645 million; staff said they shifted $7.5 million from capital outlay to the general fund as a one-year measure and will seek further cuts if state funding remains flat.
At a public tentative budget hearing on July 29, Leon County Schools staff presented proposed millage rates and a tentative 2025–26 budget that staff said is roughly 2.5% below last year.
CFO Miss Sanders outlined the proposed millage breakdown: the required local effort at 3.118 mills, discretionary operating at 0.748 mills and capital outlay at 1.5 mills — a combined tentative rate of 5.366 mills. Staff estimated total revenues across general, special revenue, debt service, capital outlay and trust funds of about $645 million.
Officials described short-term balancing steps the district has taken. “As an immediate stopgap measure to balance a budget and to end us at a 3% required by law unrestricted fund balance, we cut the capital outlay budget and shifted $7,500,000 over to fill the gap for this current year,” the superintendent said. Staff also said they budgeted an additional $4.5 million transfer for 2025–26 but warned that relying on capital-outlay transfers is a one‑time fix and more cuts or new revenue will be needed if state funding remains level.
The board voted unanimously to adopt the resolution determining revenues and the tentative millage rates and to adopt the tentative budget. The board scheduled the required final public hearing to adopt final millage rates and the final budget for Sept. 9, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Aquilina C. Howell Center, 3955 West Pensacola Street, Tallahassee.
Board members asked staff to publish more details about which capital projects will be delayed and to follow up with the public on other cuts and savings strategies.
