BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Enrollment in Broward County Public Schools has dropped by nearly 38,000 students over the past decade, and officials said they expect to lose another 8,000 next year.
That decline means less state funding, but staffing levels have not decreased at the same pace.
During a school board meeting this week, slides presented to board members showed a sharp contrast: while the blue line representing student enrollment has fallen steadily, the red line showing staffing levels has remained relatively flat.
“That’s out of whack,” Broward Superintendent Howard Hepburn said during Thursday’s meeting. “Moving forward, there are some tough decisions that have to be made.”
“We’ll be looking at decision making, we’ll be looking at staffing allocation in the budget — there’s going to be a pain point for the district,” he added.
To help manage costs, Hepburn is proposing a hiring freeze on central office positions and says the district should examine whether there is a surplus of assistant principals at middle schools.
So far, the district plans to repurpose or consolidate several schools, but has only decided to close one: Broward Estates Elementary.
Officials say the Broward Teachers Union is monitoring the situation closely.
The union’s president told Local 10 News that teachers are cut every year and hopes any upcoming reductions come from elsewhere in the district.
Statement from Broward Schools:
“The Superintendent is prioritizing the elimination of vacancies, finding operational efficiencies, and leveraging attrition over the coming years to address this complex challenge.”