TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — The Leon County School Board approved the tentative budget for the upcoming school year at Tuesday's board meeting.
- The tentative budget calls for spending 2.5% less than last year.
- Superintendent Rocky Hanna said they had to use capital outlay funds to balance the budget this year.
- Watch the video to find out why the Superintendent said the district is not in the clear yet when it comes to financial concerns.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Relief for the Leon County School District. A tentative budget for the upcoming school year passed unanimously after months of concerns about funds for the school year beginning next month.
The Leon County School Board passed a balanced tentative budget for the school year, which begins August 11th. This comes following concerns that the district was at a $12.5 million shortfall.
"The good news is we were able to find a creative way to balance our budget and to maintain that 3% unrestricted fund balance as required by Florida law," said Superintendent of Leon County Schools, Rocky Hanna.
Hanna said that included cuts at the district level. Some vacant positions and those where staff have resigned have also been frozen.
Some relief came Friday when the federal government unfroze more than $5 million for the district to use for after-school programs.
In addition, Hanna said they had to use about $7.5 million from the capital outlay fund for bus driver salaries. Capital outlay is typically used to pay for school renovations.
"Had that not been available to us, I don't know how we would have balanced the budget this year," said Hanna. "But this was a card we can only play one time. It was basically a Hail Mary to bail us out."
Still, the board stressed the district is not in the clear for the following fiscal year.
"We're not going to be able to balance next year without some pain points and some major cuts," said Hanna.
Hanna said those cuts will need to be between $5 and $6 million next year, if legislative funding remains the same.
The Superintendent has not ruled out combining schools and increasing class sizes.
"Like I said earlier, all options are on the table," said Hanna.
School Board members are calling on the public to advocate for their public schools.
"Continue to support your schools, support what you feel is best for your child, and support by collectively advocating at the legislature and on the state level," said Leon County School Board Member, Alva Swafford Smith.
The Board will pass the final budget for the upcoming school year on Tuesday, September 9.
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