Orange County Public Schools estimates 6,700 fewer students this year, School Board approves 2025-26 budget

Before the new school year started, Orange County Public Schools expected to lose about 3,100 students for the 2025-26 school year.

Now, it appears the district underestimated the drop in enrollment.

Early counts show the district is down by about 6,700 students.

Despite that student loss, the Orange County School Board last week approved a 2025-26 budget that is $231.2 million higher than last year’s budget.

The OCPS budget includes five major components. Three of those — the General Fund, Debt Service Fund and Internal Service Fund — all were cut this year.

The General Fund — the district’s operating budget — totals $2,819,641,038, down $13,897,226 from last year.

The Debt Service Fund totals $223,810,903 — down $24,547,123 from last year.

The Internal Service Fund pays for printing services, property casualty loss and employee health insurance. It totals $413,080,418, down $4,054,713 from last year.

However, the final two components — the Capital Projects Fund and Special Revenue Fund — show increases.

The Capital Projects Fund — which funds construction of new schools, renovations and upgrades — totals $3,735,929,315, up $270,611,861 from last year. These funds build 13 relief schools — nine elementary, two middle and two high schools. This includes the new elementary school planned to open in August 2026 in Horizon West.

The Special Revenue Fund, which funds the district’s food service program, extended day and school internal accounts programs, totals $340,234,735, up $3,107,645 from last year.

The district also has established a new Academic Acceleration fund to support programs such as AP, IB, ACE, CAPE and dual enrollment. Funding for this comes from the base student allocation already in the budget. 

MILLAGE RATE
The School Board approved a .015 reduction in the 2025-26 millage rate — from 6.464 to 6.449. However, with a 2.95% consumer price index increase of assessed property values, homeowners will see an increase in their taxes. OCPS Chief Financial Officer Doreen Concolino said a homeowner with a value at $346,321 last year paid $2,077 in school taxes. This year, that same home is valued at $355,800, and the school tax will be $2,133.

INSIDE ENROLLMENT
Although the total number of students in Orange County is anticipated to increase by 3,354 to 230,961 students this year, OCPS officials said enrollment in its traditional schools is down.

During this year’s budget hearing, district officials said enrollment in its traditional schools has dropped to 180,649. In that same time, families opting for state vouchers, aka the Family Empowerment Scholarship, are forecasted to increase by 5,154 to 50,717 this school year, district officials said. Charter schools also are expected to grow by 837 students to 19,696 this year.

That decline in enrollment will translate to fewer state dollars for OCPS, although the exact amount is unknown, Concolino said.

“This year is a bit uncertain … because we have to wait for the October survey to truly see the students that we have here,” she said. “We’ve just done the 10-day enrollment, which has given us a snapshot. It’s not encouraging, and it definitely reflects less revenue coming in.”

District 5 School Board Member Vicki-Elaine Felder said the public needs to understand the gravity of the situation.

“The public needs to understand the dire straits that we’re in and deal with their representatives and go to Tallahassee. We’re fighting, but we need more fight from the people, because if you (board members) challenge them, your seat is going to be taken. … You’re going to get out of this position, because you’re not doing what’s benefiting the whole of the people in the state of Florida. … That would be a big help to us, because we are seriously robbing Peter to pay Paul, and Peter is running out of money.”

FLORIDA EMPOWERMENT SCHOLARSHIP
OCPS’ budget shows $211 million for Family Empowerment Scholarships, about $4,160.34 per student in the voucher program. By comparison, the total per-student funding at OCPS schools has increased to $10,229 this year, up from $10,019 last year. 

However, School Board members argued that number shouldn’t be included in OCPS’ budget. 

District 3 School Board Member Alicia Farrant advocated for the state treating the Family Empowerment Scholarship as its own entity — as it does with Florida Virtual School — so the allocation for public schools is clearer.

“We never say that we’re losing money in our budget because students are going to FLVS or that FLVS is stealing from the public schools,” she said. “So in the same way … we need to just advocate for (the Family Empowerment Scholarship) to be its own separate entity.”

District 7 School Board Member Melissa Byrd said the state does not report the funding that way because it does not want the public to see a decline in public education funding.

“If they went to the public and said, ‘Look, we’re decreasing public education every year,’ people would be outraged,” she said. “But because they throw in the Family Empowerment Scholarship in our budget, then they can go to the public and say, ‘Hey, look, we’re the greatest administration for education ever to be in Florida. Look at all the money we’ve put into education in the past four years.’ That’s exactly why they’re doing it.” 

“That money can make so much difference in our schools — $211 million,” District 4 School Board Member Anne Douglas said. “To me, it’s outrageous. Absolutely outrageous. Like member Byrd said: It looks good. Oh, we are spending so much money on people in Florida, but that’s not public school. … These are not our kids. This is outrageous. … I just don’t understand.”

Earlier this year, OCPS hired Caissa K-12 to recruit students to return to OCPS. For every student who re-enrolls and stays in class for 30 days, the district received about $8,950 in state funding. Caissa K-12 receives $935 per student.

TEACHER PAY AND BENEFITS
At the beginning of the budget hearing, Orange County Classroom Teachers Association Board President Clinton McCracken urged the School Board to support OCPS educators. 

“A budget is not just a spreadsheet,” he said. “A budget is a statement of priorities, a reflection of what is valued most. … Does this budget reflect that? Will it invest in educators or layers of administration? Will it deepen trust in teachers or grow more resentment?” 

The new budget includes $7.5 million for teacher salary increases and a 1.39% increase in funding for school resource officers.

In the Internal Service Fund, the School Board also approved $327,902,012 for the Employee Benefits Trust Fund, which provides health insurance for employees and their dependents. OCPS employees can choose between four plans, including a no-cost option.