SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Tens of thousands of Seminole County students returned to school Monday as district leaders navigate significant budget cuts and a projected drop in enrollment.
Superintendent Serita Beamon joined school board members for a bell-ringing ceremony at Crooms Academy, which is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
“Crooms has been the center of a community for generations, and to celebrate 100 years, it’s not something that every school will get to do,” Beamon said.
Seminole County Public Schools serves more than 58,000 students with nearly 6,500 employees, making it the largest employer in Seminole County. The district is the 13th largest in Florida.
Despite financial headwinds, the district posted some of its strongest academic numbers in years heading into the new school year. This year, 95% of Seminole County schools earned an A or B grade — the highest combined total since 2011.
Despite those achievements, the district made nearly $30 million in cuts this school year — and the reductions still weren’t enough to fully balance the budget. About 300 positions were eliminated to help address a nearly $3 million budget shortfall.
The district projects a decline of between 1,500 and 2,000 students in the coming school year. Because Florida schools are funded on a per-student basis, every student who leaves takes dollars with them. District leaders have cited shifting demographics, population changes and the growth of Florida’s school voucher program as factors driving the decline.
To address the financial challenges, some smaller schools have adopted shared staffing models.
“Careful planning. Looking at ways to refine, but not reduce the opportunities that our students are able to have,” Beamon said.
While enrollment has declined across Seminole County and other districts, Crooms Academy has seen its student numbers rise. Principal Brandon Hanshaw credits the school’s offerings as a technology magnet school, which gives the district more selling points in an increasingly competitive market.
“Our students can earn their associate of arts degree concurrently with our high school diploma when they graduate,” Hanshaw said. “We represent a choice, and ultimately all of the schools now are a choice for families.”