Board directs superintendent to develop multi‑year plan to reduce non‑teaching staff

The Broward County School Board voted to direct the superintendent to develop and return with a comprehensive staffing‑alignment plan that would reduce non‑teaching positions over multiple years.

"We are overstaffed," said Board Member Holness, the motion's sponsor. Board members and district leaders agreed the district has not adjusted non‑teaching staffing proportionally to a long decline in enrollment and that doing so is necessary to close a multi‑hundred‑million‑dollar budget shortfall.

The item, as amended, asks the superintendent to present a plan that would reduce staff by up to 1,000 positions in the coming year and then propose reductions in years two and three (with a floor of about 500 in years two and three in the adopted amendment). The superintendent said he will work with a third‑party consultant and the district’s HR and finance teams and return with a recommended plan at a summer workshop so staff reductions and transition supports can be planned carefully.

Board members debated whether the direction should include teachers. Several members emphasized the motion targets primarily non‑instructional positions and that preserving classroom staff was a priority. "Under no circumstances should this include teachers," a board member said during debate. Superintendent Hepburn said attrition, service redesign and phased reductions will be considered and that the district will prioritize maintaining essential student services while getting costs under control.

What’s next: The superintendent will present a staffing plan and timeline (workshop target in summer) and will coordinate transition and career services for affected staff if reductions move forward. The board asked for scenarios showing impacts to student services, projected savings, and potential redeployments.