On April 22, 2024, Leon County School (LCS) Board Member Alva Smith stated one of her budget priorities is to look at the financial impact of downsizing the school district due to declining enrollment. Smith explained it was a vital conversation about downsizing stating, “We are not being fiscally responsible and good stewards of tax payers’ dollars if we do not discuss downsizing in this district.” She continued, “If we do not discuss closing a school, we are not being good stewards.”
In recent years, Leon County School District has faced a decline in student enrollment. This decline can be attributed, in part, to the Covid Pandemic when students were forced to leave school and attend virtual learning. From 2019-2021, the District lost 1,519 students alone.
Additionally, Smith stated, “We are not the only District in this state having to have this conversation. But we are one that is consistently declining enrollment, and something’s got to give.” She continued, “The data is there. It’s very clear. There are certain schools that consistently decline.”
Due to the steady decline of student enrollment each year, the District is now dealing with the issue of a tighter budget. This loss of funding has placed the District in a competition with private and charter schools. Each student that leaves a Leon County public school for a private or charter school takes approximately $7,775 with them. Over the past five years, the District has lost a total of 2,578 students.
Lastly, Smith further addressed the issue stating, “This is going to be a long discussion. This is not going to be a ‘let’s close this school and let’s do it in August’ … no one wants to do it, I don’t want to do it, but as we look at the numbers and they continue to decline, and our overall budget continues to decline, this is where this money could come from.”
Elementary School Population Trends
The table below provides the unweighted student full-time equivalent, or FTE, for 22 Leon County elementary schools for 20119/20, 2022/23, & 2023/24. The table also provides the school capacity.
The schools are sorted by the largest to smallest decline in FTE’s over the 2019/20 – 2023/24 period.
The data shows:
-FTE’s at five schools have declined 20% or more from 2020 to 2024.
-Seven schools had FTE declines from 2023 to 2024.
-Eight schools which have a current capacity of less than 75%.
There are four schools – Springwood, Hartsfield, Astoria Park, and Sealey – which have experienced a 20% or more FTE decline over the last five years, a FTE decline from 2023 to 2024, and are currently below 75% capacity.
Two schools – Bond, Sabal Palm – have experienced a five-year FTE decline of over 10%, but have rebounded with positive growth from 2023 to 2024.
Four schools – Gilchrist, Riley, Buck Lake, Kate Sullivan – are currently over 90% capacity.
LCS Board Member Alva Smith Discusses Closing Schools added by Tristyn Leigh on
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Hey Alva:
Why don’t you have a discussion about how much of a PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION we deserve commensurate with the lower expenses of fewer teachers and indoctrination centers?
Nobody wants your product so attendants will continue to decline
but you have a new goofy logo… so you have that going for you.
this is the kind of bassaquard priorities that you get when you let leftys run the show. it’s no wonder the good folks are moving to charters and homeschooling.
Deerlake? This shows once again that anyone on the right can not think ahead. The NE is about to explode with 100s of new homes. Deerlake will be a capacity soon.
Thankfully, more and more parents are realizing that if they want their child/children to succeed in life, then they must get them the hell out of the ever-failing Public Indoctrination System.
Not only should they talk about closing public schools, but they should also talk about reducing the school tax levy commensurate with the reduction.
Shut them all down and protect our children.
Why are Charter Schools BETTER than Public Schools?
What are Charter Schools doing differently than Public Schools?
Maybe, this is just my opinion, maybe you should study Charter Schools and try to copy what they are doing. It’s just a thought.
When she moves her mouth it’s hard to remember if she’s a Republican pretending to be a Democrat pretending to be a Republican. voucher schools are bad for parents and kids but good for for-profit management companies