The Leon County School Board is delaying a final decision on the fate of the Leon County Virtual School, arts and athletics funding and other cuts recommended by Superintendent Rocky Hanna until March 24.
The date is significant because the 2026 legislative session is expected to end by then, which would give administrators an early look at what kind of education funding to expect in the year ahead (provided the House and Senate can agree on a budget).
“We cannot prolong this much longer than that, so we have to make a decision. The people are waiting for us to make a decision,” School Board Chair Marcus Nicolas said.
Hanna has identified $7 million in cuts after he urgently called for financial belt-tightening as the district grapples with an approaching budget shortfall fueled by declining enrollments, rising operational costs and a legislature that has shifted public school funding to charter and private schools.
The cuts are only recommendations until the board OKs their implementation.
Nicolas presented the motion to his colleagues, emphasizing urgency of the matter for the district to present staffing plans to principals, which forecasts enrollment and staffing numbers. The document is usually presented before spring break, now it won’t go out until April.
“There will still be a lot of unknowns,” Hanna told the board. “I wouldn’t suggest waiting until after the 24th. We can always go back and add things if the sun comes out.”
Some members had questions about the timetable, but the motion passed unanimously, signaling agreement on the need to move forward as budget uncertainty hangs over the district.
The vote comes a day after the district launched an explainer website at the same time the school board held a workshop meeting and listened to district administrators justify the cutbacks. Hanna warns even more drastic reductions could be added if the state doesn’t send more money to the district.
Each proposed budget cut is listed with a dollar savings amount and brief description of how each reduction could impact students and staff.
The cuts include arts and athletics funding, the closure of the Leon County Virtual School and positions like academic interventionists, district-level support staff, social workers and security monitors.
The potential closure of Leon County Virtual School has drawn particular attention from families who rely on the program for flexible or alternative learning options. Hanna said low enrollment and low revenue make the school financially unsustainable under current funding levels.
The website also features an explainer page on enrollment as declines have been deemed a major factor in the district’s financial struggles. Fewer kids lead to fewer dollars from the state.
School Board Member Alva Smith launched a motion to form a citizens advisory committee on enrollment and present the board a recommendation on how to move forward on the matter.
“I feel like we are not being honest with our community,” Smith said, citing statistics and details featured on the district’s enrollment site she disagreed with. “I would like to convene a citizen review team to study the information because clearly the Superintendent and I are reading it two different ways.”
School board member Laurie Cox supported the measure, but Nicolas, Darryl Jones and Rosanne Wood voted it down.
“I’m not willing to suggest that an outside citizens committee brings greater authority to the analysis of data than those persons who are in our employment,” Jones said.
Learn more about the cuts at www.leonschools.net/budgetreductions.
Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter/X: @AlaijahBrown3.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County School Board to decide cuts March 24
Reporting by Alaijah Brown, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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