Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna said the district is in “the worst position” financially it’s been in the last decade when talking about the tentative budget for the 2026-27 school year.
The Leon County School Board had plenty of questions and concerns July 27 as it reviewed the tentative budget for the new fiscal year, a discussion that held the same dismal tone from last year.
“It’s like déjà vu. The same conversation we had last year we’re having this year about potential budget shortfalls,” Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat. “The lack of funding coming from the Florida Legislature coupled with the increase of vouchers … has continued to create a problem for us financially.”
The board already approved $7.8 million in spending cuts earlier this year, which reduced arts and athletics programs and staffing positions throughout the district, including at the administrative level and some roles that have supported vulnerable student populations like academic interventionists and social workers.
Following the Monday discussion, Hanna said more cuts could come.
“We continue to cut and cut and cut until we start affecting student programs… at some point students and their families are going to be impacted by our budget situation,” Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat.
He added: “We will continue to look at additional cuts for the 2027-28 year but at some point the Florida Legislature has to step up and our community right here in Leon County has to step up and say enough is enough.”
The Legislature this year preserved a key source of funding for public schools by exempting school district property taxes from a proposed expansion of the state’s homestead exemption, part of a property tax overhaul pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
After concerns the original proposal could strip billions of dollars from local education budgets, lawmakers revised the measure so the larger exemption would apply only to non-public school property taxes, shielding schools from the revenue losses that otherwise would have accompanied the tax cut. It goes before statewide voters in November.
The first tentative budget hearing is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 28. The final budget is scheduled for public board approval on Tuesday, Sept. 8, at the same time. Both public meetings will take place at 3955 W. Pensacola St.
Here’s what the budget says
The tentative budget reflects an overall total of $615 million coming to LCS from federal, state and local funding sources, about $32 million less than last year’s total of $647 million.
Accompanying the budget, the board is slated to approve a property tax increase even though the collection rate is less than what it was last year. The new rate could cost the average homeowner about $967 a year, an increase of $28 over last year’s estimated cost of $939.
The district’s unassigned fund balance, a pot of money the board can spend on anything that isn’t restricted by state law, is down by 50% at $4 million. Last year, the total was $8 million and the year before that it was at $10 million based on previous year’s budget documents.
“As far as salary increases go for this year there will be none, for anyone,” Hanna said. “There’s no money.”
His announcement comes as the district is in the midst of negotiations with the Leon Classroom Teachers Association and the Leon Educational Staff Professional Association over salaries and annual contract language.
Board member Alva Smith, who has been the lone voice calling for an in-depth discussion on the possibility of school consolidations and closures, expressed concern about the loss in revenue.
“This is my grave, grave concern, and why I keep wanting to have the ‘consolidation talk,’ and why I want to keep having the ‘reduction in administrative talks’ and keep wanting to have the ‘can we downsize our footprint talk,’ ” Smith said. “When you see it in numbers, it just reiterates that … things are dire and the financial crisis we keep hearing about is here.”
Hanna said the budget, though grim and slim, will get the district through the 2026-27 school year. But it will not work for the 2027-28 school year.
“We will put our heads together and come back to the board with recommendations as to how to further make cuts districtwide to prepare for a similar situation in 2027-28,” he said.
Alaijah Cross covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at abrown@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Leon County Schools faces ‘worst’ budget in a decade
Reporting by Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat / Tallahassee Democrat
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By Alaijah Cross, Tallahassee Democrat | USA TODAY Network
