The School District of Osceola County is celebrating record academic achievements, but leaders warn the district faces a financial crisis that could reshape education for its students.
Superintendent Mark Shanoff addressed both the progress and the challenges during the annual State of Education on Wednesday, highlighting a climbing graduation rate while sounding the alarm on a looming budget shortfall.
The district has raised its graduation rate to 93%, surpassing the state average of 92%, a milestone Shanoff pointed to as evidence of continued student progress, but also the work needed to bridge the gap.
“I don’t think that a 92% or 93% graduation rate means that we have arrived. I think it means that there are 7% of students that are not graduating, and we need to focus on what are the things that we’re missing within that 7% that we can actually improve on,” Shanoff told News 6.
However, the district is simultaneously grappling with declining enrollment and deep budget cuts.
Over the last two years, the district has eliminated 785 teacher and staff positions and cut $15.9 million in programs and initiatives and leaders say it still isn’t enough.
Shanoff was direct about the district’s financial standing compared to other districts.
“The most important thing for our community to understand and for everybody within Central Florida to understand is that Osceola doesn’t get the per-pupil funding that the other Central Florida counties get,” Shanoff said. “We are significantly lower than everybody else.”
Without intervention, the district projects a $100 million budget shortfall over the next four years.
To close the gap, the district has placed a property-tax referendum on the November ballot. If approved, the millage rate would take effect the following school year and remain in place for four years.
Shanoff noted that Osceola County is not alone in asking for additional support from taxpayers.
“Us and Polk are the only ones that are asking for it for the first time. Orange is asking for a renewal. Brevard is asking for a renewal. Lake’s asking for it to be increased. So the answer is, we’re trying to keep up with the Joneses when it comes to paying our teachers, and we’re already behind the eight ball because of how low we’re funded,” Shanoff said.
Revenue generated by the millage rate would support three key priorities:
- Competitive pay and benefits to recruit and retain teachers and staff
- Safety and security personnel across district schools
- Academic programs, including arts, music and athletics
Critics have called on the district to make additional cuts rather than pursue a tax increase. Shanoff pushed back on that suggestion.
“I’m not exactly sure what more we can cut before people start losing services,” he said. “At the end of the day, the worst thing that can happen is that our parents and our community start to see the services within the schools don’t look the same as they once did, and that responsiveness that they’ve gotten used to may not necessarily be there.”
If voters approve the referendum, spending would be monitored by an independent citizen advisory committee.