Clay County Schools faces $10M budget hole ahead of new school year
'Right now, the county's costs are more than the money that we make,' the superintendent shared.
In a May workshop meeting, the county leader named inflation, uncertainty with the state budget, and decreased enrollment as some reasons the county is facing a loss.
The superintendent's budget presentation showed 500 fewer students enrolled in the county, resulting in millions of dollars in losses.
'So if you look at it... The difference of about 500 students... you're looking at about 4 million dollars just there,' Broskie said.
The report also detailed the millions of dollars in local and state funds going towards Family Empowerment Scholarships (FES), or private school vouchers.
Related: Mayor Deegan signs resolution calling on Florida to continue funding advanced courses
It's something the superintendent named as another contributor to the county's budget deficit.
In fiscal year 2024- 2025, over $24.3 million in aid went towards the vouchers. That's a jump from the $16.8 million that local and state governments paid out in FY 2023-2024.
By the next fiscal year, the superintendent said that early estimates show that number will increase to $30 million.
To better manage the county's budget, district leaders are reviewing all district and school allocations. The move will affect hundreds of school employees.
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Clay County Spokesperson, Terri Dennis, sent Action News Jax this response:
'To proactively manage our resources and align with our projected budget, we have made adjustments to approximately 200 employee allocations. We want to assure our community that all employees impacted by these shifts have been offered new positions for which they are certified or qualified. These opportunities span a variety of roles, including instructional, support, and administrative positions, ensuring that we continue to leverage the talents of our dedicated staff.
Superintendent Broskie also says the county is making other adjustments to better manage its resources during this financial challenge, like;
Renegotiating district contracts
Evaluating the profitability of all district programs
Pausing all travel expenses
Initiating a hiring freeze
Florida lawmakers continue their state budget negotiations in Tallahassee. The legislative session was supposed to end on May 2nd.
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