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Board hears $7.1 million FEFP shortfall and district lays out revenue‑generation options
Summary
CFO Jamie Lewis told the board the district recorded a $7.1 million loss tied to the state FEFP third calculation and said the district set aside $48 million in reserves to support newly self‑funded insurance; board members pressed for specific mitigation strategies and asked staff to pursue examples from other counties.
The Hillsborough County School Board was told May 5 that the district recorded a $7.1 million revenue shortfall tied to the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) third calculation and that staff continue to model options to mitigate the impact without disrupting classrooms.
Chief Financial Officer Jamie Lewis described that the $7.1 million loss resulted from enrollment changes measured in the FEFP third calculation and noted the district is moving to a self‑funded insurance model with $48 million in reserves set aside to pay expected claims. Lewis described the March budget amendment as routine but highlighted the timing challenge created by late state funding calculations.
Board members pressed for specifics. Member Gray asked whether the district could replicate Escambia County's process for obtaining voucher rosters to detect double‑payments; Lewis said staff would contact Escambia and report back. Several members urged the district to pursue revenue opportunities such as online course packages and Hillsborough Virtual School expansion to recapture scholarship or voucher dollars.
Lewis and board members emphasized a priority: avoid classroom disruption. "Our number one goal... is that we do not want to disrupt the classroom at all," Lewis said. Staff agreed to return with more precise savings estimates tied to unit‑allocation and staffing changes and to share a written mitigation strategy.
