(The Center Square) – This month legislators are working to finalize the state budget in which the governor proposed a record amount of funding for public schools amid schools closing permanently across the state.
Public school enrollment has been on the decline the last five years. After decades of growth, an estimated 1.18 million students across the nation have left the public school system. It’s a trend that is expected to continue with an estimated further decline of over 5% by 2031, according to the Education Commission of the States.
In Florida, public school enrollment has fallen by more than 40,000 students since the 2021-2022 school year. While declining birth rates can be partially blamed, it’s not the only reason for the shift which began around the same time as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Homeschooling in Florida has increased by nearly 50% during the same period that public school enrollment is declining, according to the Florida Department of Education. During the 2023-2024 school year, 114,239 families participated in homeschooling programs.
Parents taking their children outside of the public school system is having a permanent impact on schools and school budgets.
Just this year, the Orange County School Board voted to close seven schools in March. Before that, the Broward County School Board agreed in January to close six schools following discussions about declining enrollment and projected revenue costs.
It’s within this changing educational landscape that Florida could be poised to pour the most money yet into its public education system.
The state budget remained unfinished during the regular session, leaving lawmakers no choice but to return to Tallahassee in a special session this month.
Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed a historic $30.5 billion for Florida’s public schools, plus an additional $1.56 billion for teacher pay increases. The historic funding would mean the highest investment per student ever at $9,406, which is $279 more than last year, according to the governor’s office.
Florida already took steps in 2023 to address declining enrollment by implementing the Education Enrollment Stabilization Program. The program allows money to be placed in a dedicated fund and provided to distressed districts experiencing enrollment changes.
Critically, school districts in Florida primarily receive their funding based on the number of students enrolled so an unexpected drop in enrollment could destabilize a school district’s budget.
Research shows that the governor’s strategy of increasing per student funding can be beneficial when well allocated and lead to greater academic improvements. A review by the Learning Policy Institute found a 20% increase in per student funding for low-income children increased educational attainment and brought up high school graduation rates. It also found that decreases in education funding adversely impacted student outcomes.
