Saint Lucie board warned of $7.2 million shortfall; district highlights third‑calc impact and efficiency ranking
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Summary
District leaders said third‑calculation FEFP results and federal grant cuts combine to produce an immediate $7.2 million revenue reduction for 2025–26; staff outlined hiring freezes, budget reductions and revenue strategies while emphasizing Saint Lucie ranks third most efficient in administrators per 1,000 students.
Dr. Wilde and district finance staff told the board that the state’s January "third calculation" reduced the district’s weighted FTE compared with the model used to budget the year, producing an estimated revenue shortfall of about $7.26 million for the current fiscal year.
"For Saint Lucie Public Schools, a reduction of 7,263,000 in our revenue for this school year," a finance presenter said, summarizing the third‑calc impact. Staff attributed the decline to lower-than‑projected district FTE and drops in charter enrollments, and noted an independent pressure from expanding Family Empowerment Scholarships.
Officials also reported simultaneous federal fund reductions totaling roughly $7.2 million (Title I, Title II, IDEA and other grants). The combined state and federal changes led the superintendent to direct staff to prepare a cost‑reduction plan that seeks to avoid layoffs while protecting classroom instruction and safety.
Staff outlined immediate measures already in place: a freeze on district‑level hires and vacant clerical positions, review and reallocation of over‑allocated positions from turnaround schools to vacancies, a 10% cut to department and school discretionary budgets, reduced overtime and travel freezes, HVAC run‑time adjustments and targeted contract renegotiations. The district also described revenue actions under development — adding VPK parent‑pay units, offering district courses to Step Up (family empowerment) families, pursuing education foundation support, facility leases and a possible move to a self‑insured health trust to reduce benefits costs.
Dr. Summer and Dr. Prince framed the budget exercise as precautionary: the district selected conservative enrollment models when budgeting but said the pace of family choice programs and federal changes is hard to predict. Board members urged transparency and frequent updates. Staff said they will return with specific options and timelines for February–March decisions and will prioritize internal placements before external hires if position changes are necessary.
No formal board action was taken; staff will bring specific reduction options, bargaining‑unit discussions and affected‑employee placement plans to future workshops.