Lake County Schools’ next superintendent is still months away from officially taking over, but he is already laying out how he wants the district to confront declining enrollment, review staffing and compete harder for families.
Chad Farnsworth presented his priorities to the Lake County School Board on Monday, describing a district he believes is taking over from a “position of strength” academically while also facing challenges involving enrollment and financial stability.
His message on enrollment was direct.
“At the core of our financial stability, it’s enrollment,” Farnsworth told board members.
He explained that students generate funding that helps the district pay for its programs, educational opportunities and employees.
“Every child that comes to us brings about a certain amount of funding,” Farnsworth said. “And that funding is what allows us to provide the amazing programs and student learning experiences that come along with attending our schools.”
Farnsworth then said Lake County Schools needs to “attack” what he described as a trend of declining enrollment and work to reverse it.
Farnsworth wants an enrollment task force with measurable goals
Farnsworth said one of his responses would be creating an enrollment task force — and emphasized that he does not want another group that simply meets and studies the issue.
“Not a committee that sits around and talks about it or just looks at the data,” he said.
Instead, Farnsworth said he wants a task force that develops an action plan with measurable objectives and takes specific steps toward increasing enrollment.
He also acknowledged that any turnaround will take time.
“That’s not gonna happen overnight,” Farnsworth said.
Immediately after that, Farnsworth turned to staffing as another part of the district’s financial planning.
“But in the meantime, we’ve gotta be prepared to make staffing adjustments,” he said.
Farnsworth added that adjusting staffing has been part of the district’s work in previous years, but said it requires particular attention now.
“Now more than ever, it’s important that we analyze and adjust staffing where necessary,” he said.
Farnsworth did not announce layoffs, identify particular jobs for elimination or specify which schools or employees could potentially be affected.
His presentation also did not say that every decline in enrollment would automatically result in a staffing reduction.
Instead, Farnsworth discussed enrollment and staffing as separate but related considerations within his broader priority of maintaining the district’s financial stability.
Earlier in the presentation, he also emphasized keeping good employees and remaining competitive on compensation.
“We have to keep and retain our best adults to work with our children and support the mission,” Farnsworth said.
State numbers show enrollment grew for years before turning down
Florida Department of Education records show Lake County’s broader public-school enrollment increased for several consecutive years before declining in 2024-25.
The state’s district transportation profiles list:
2021-22: 45,845 students
2022-23: 47,452 students
2023-24: 48,285 students
2024-25: 47,982 students
That means the state-reported public-school population increased by more than 2,400 students from 2021-22 through its 2023-24 peak before declining by 303 students the following year. (Florida Department of Education)
There is an important distinction in those numbers: Florida’s public-school enrollment totals include public charter schools. Because Farnsworth is also talking about Lake County Schools competing with charter schools for students, those state totals should not be interpreted as a count of only students attending district-operated campuses.
For the 2025-26 school year, Lake County Schools separately announced that nearly 43,000 students were expected to report to Lake County Schools classrooms. (Lake Hills School)
The two measurements are not directly interchangeable, but together they illustrate why Farnsworth is placing additional emphasis on where families choose to enroll.
‘We’re all about competition’
Farnsworth spent a significant part of his presentation discussing school choice and the need to persuade families to consider Lake County Schools.
He specifically identified three groups: families choosing homeschool, charter schools and private schools.
“We’re all about competition,” Farnsworth said. “So we need to make sure that we’re having a conversation with them that encourages them to give us a try.”
He said the district cannot assume that the same message will work for every family.
“The message might be different for our current families than it is for our prospective families,” Farnsworth said.
Farnsworth said Lake County Schools needs to do a better job explaining the opportunities available within the district, including arts programs, athletics, STEM and STEAM offerings, robotics, career and technical education and college-preparation programs such as AICE and International Baccalaureate.
He also suggested the district could find ways for families to try portions of the public-school system before committing completely.
That could include virtual opportunities or what he called “a la carte options,” allowing students to participate in particular classes or programs.
“At least that gets their foot into the door,” Farnsworth said.
One Lake County graduate explains why his family chose differently
At Wooton Park in Tavares, Matthew Walton told News 6 that he has seen the Lake County school system from more than one perspective.
Walton grew up in Lake County and attended Tavares Elementary, middle and high schools.
But when he later became a parent, his own son attended a charter school.
Asked what traditional public schools could do to convince more families to choose them, Walton pointed to class size and individual attention.
“If they give the public school students what the private school students are getting,” Walton said, including “the smaller classrooms, the more one-on-one attention,” he believes traditional schools would become more attractive to families.
Walton also expressed concern when told about Farnsworth’s reference to staffing adjustments.
“They’re already short-staffed as it is,” Walton said, adding that he believes teaching has become a difficult profession to recruit for and retain.
When asked whether staffing should change if a school has fewer students, Walton said he believes schools should maintain minimum staffing levels and avoid overly large classes.
“I don’t think higher than 25 kids should be in a class with one teacher,” Walton said.
Walton’s comments represent his own experience and opinion; Farnsworth did not say during Monday’s presentation that class sizes would increase as part of any staffing adjustment.
Farnsworth says communication has to improve
Farnsworth said convincing families to choose Lake County Schools will require more than simply promoting academic programs.
He repeatedly returned to trust and communication.
“We’ve got to do a better job of communicating,” Farnsworth said, adding that the district needs to operate with “a high degree of transparency.”
He said district leaders need to understand what is influencing families who choose different educational paths.
Farnsworth also argued that parents can sometimes develop perceptions about schools based on social media or broader news stories that may not reflect what is happening on their child’s individual campus.
“We need to make sure that they’re making educational decisions for children that’s reliable and accurate,” Farnsworth said.
Walton independently raised transparency as one of the things he would want from public schools.
“Being open. Being open, transparency,” Walton said when asked what could help build trust.
What Farnsworth calls a transition plan — not simply a ‘100-day plan’
The second major portion of Farnsworth’s presentation focused on his upcoming transition into the superintendent’s office.
Although it has been discussed as a 100-day plan, Farnsworth said that is not quite how he views it.
“I would say it’s more of a transition plan,” he said.
Farnsworth described it as a “structured roadmap” for transition, discovery and strategic alignment.
He divided that roadmap into three phases:
Phase 1: Listening and learning
Farnsworth said the first phase includes individual meetings with School Board members, conversations with teachers, staff and school leaders, rebuilding community relationships and visiting every school.
“Visiting every school is a big priority to me,” Farnsworth said.
He said those visits will help him identify practices and procedures that should be added, revised or even eliminated to improve efficiency and strengthen school culture.
The district’s stakeholder survey process will also be reviewed, with Farnsworth saying he wants feedback that is more reliable and consistent.
Walton said that listening tour is exactly where he would want the incoming superintendent to spend his time.
“I would just talk to him about going to the schools and listening to what the teachers need,” Walton said.
Phase 2: Data and discovery
The next phase will focus heavily on information the district already collects.
Farnsworth said administrators will analyze academic performance, financial records and operational data across schools and departments.
“It’s really just becoming more efficient,” he said.
That includes looking for waste and opportunities to reduce costs, but Farnsworth said those decisions must be balanced against protecting classroom instruction, student services and employees.
“We need to make sure we’re eliminating waste and reducing costs whenever we can,” Farnsworth said. “But we’ve gotta make sure that we’re prioritizing correctly.”
Phase 3: Strategic planning
The information gathered during the first two phases would feed into Lake County Schools’ next strategic plan.
Farnsworth said the district intends to develop a preliminary 2027-2030 strategic plan that aligns resources with School Board priorities and academic goals.
He wants those goals to be measurable, with key performance indicators, strategies and specific action steps.
Farnsworth also said the district should regularly report progress to both the School Board and the community.
Financial decisions will also include buildings and growth
Staffing is not the only place Farnsworth said enrollment matters.
He told board members the district also needs to continually review its major capital projects based on where Lake County is growing and where student populations may be declining.
Those decisions can involve new schools, additions, renovations and ongoing maintenance.
“We’ve just gotta be really wise in the choices we make in that area,” Farnsworth said.
He also discussed the additional millage approved twice by Lake County voters, saying that money supports student safety and mental-health and well-being initiatives.
Farnsworth told the board that continuation of that funding remains an immediate financial priority for the district.
When does Farnsworth take over?
Lake County Schools Administrative Coordinator Sherri Owens told News 6 that Farnsworth is expected to officially transition into the superintendent’s position in December or January.
At that point, current Superintendent Diane Kornegay is expected to transition into the role of superintendent emeritus and remain with Lake County Schools in that capacity through May, Owens said.
Farnsworth indicated Monday that parts of his transition plan have already begun.
“I’d say it probably kicked off last week,” he told board members, describing meetings with civic organizations and community members.
The leadership change is designed to provide continuity at a district Farnsworth said has made substantial academic progress.
He pointed to growth in English language arts, math, graduation rates and other academic measures while acknowledging there are still areas where students need additional intervention or acceleration.
Farnsworth also emphasized that Lake County needs to retain employees and continue building partnerships with parents, colleges, local governments, law enforcement, civic organizations and faith-based groups.
Board members embrace the push to compete for students
Board members responded positively to Farnsworth’s presentation.
One board member specifically praised the proposed enrollment task force and said the district needs to be more proactive about showing families why Lake County Schools is the best option.
That board member also argued that public schools are competing on an uneven playing field and said he wants greater transparency and accountability in that competition.
Another board member described the district as moving from “defense” to “offense.”
“I feel like we have flipped over now to offense,” she said, arguing that the district now has an opportunity to tell its story more aggressively.
Farnsworth’s challenge will be turning that message into enrollment.
He is promising to listen first, study the numbers and ultimately develop a longer-term strategy.
But he has already made clear that enrollment, staffing and financial stability will be among the issues receiving attention as he prepares to take over Lake County Schools.