News Summary
Leon County is finalizing its $647 million budget for the 2025-2026 school year during a public hearing. The budget reflects a $19 million reduction from last year, stemming from fluctuating funding sources. Superintendent Rocky Hanna has proposed increasing the sales tax to address financial challenges. The board has seen no public input in prior meetings, making community involvement crucial. Despite proposed cuts, all teaching positions will be maintained, though the district warns of potential future school closures if funding does not improve.
Leon County is set to finalize its budget for the 2025-2026 school year during a public hearing scheduled for September 9, 2025, at 6 p.m. This comprehensive budget amounts to $647 million, marking a reduction of $19 million compared to last year’s budget of $666 million.
The annual budget outlines the district’s financial strategy amid ongoing fiscal challenges, primarily due to fluctuating funding from state and federal sources. Superintendent Rocky Hanna has proposed raising the existing half-penny sales tax for local schools to a full penny. This increase would directly affect local shoppers but aims to better support the school district’s financial needs.
During the previous budget meeting on July 30, the board unanimously approved a tentative budget. However, the board has not yet received any input from the public at its earlier budget hearings, making this upcoming session critical for community involvement and feedback.
The current property tax rate is set to decrease from 5.384 to 5.366 mills, expected to generate around $150 million for the district despite rising property values. For homeowners, this means that a house assessed at $200,000 would incur property taxes of approximately $1,073 under the new rate.
The budget is structured with several significant sources of revenue, including $178 million from state funding, $58 million from federal sources, and $209 million expected from local tax collections and the proposed sales tax increase. Notably, over $200 million of the proposed budget arises from rollover funds from the previous year’s finances.
The district’s financial planning has been heavily influenced by an initial projected shortfall of $17 million triggered by reduced federal COVID-19 funding. That shortfall was eventually reduced to $6 million following additional federal support. A notable decision made by the district was to allocate $7.5 million from capital outlay funds—typically reserved for renovation projects—to cover bus driver salaries.
While the district has managed to maintain all teaching positions, Superintendent Hanna has indicated that without improved funding, school closures and potential increases in class sizes could become necessary in the future. Board members have actively urged the community to engage in greater advocacy for public education, highlighting the ongoing financial crisis stemming from decreased support at both the state and federal levels.
Despite characterizing the upcoming budget as “balanced,” Leon County School Board officials express ongoing concerns about the sustainability of current funding practices in the years to come. They posit that future adjustments may need to include consolidations of schools if conditions do not improve.
In light of these financial pressures, the school board has voiced its dissatisfaction with legislators for failing to increase funding for public education, reinforcing the need for robust community support and awareness surrounding school funding issues. As Leon County prepares to finalize its budget, the engagement of local residents in public discussions will be crucial for the district’s future financial health and educational quality.
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Additional Resources
- Tallahassee.com: Leon School Board Poised to OK $647M Budget
- WTXL: Leon County Schools to Lose Millions for Next Year’s School Budget
- Tallahassee Reports: Leon County School Board Adopts $645M Balanced Budget
- Tallahassee.com: Leon Schools Face $17M Budget Cut Despite Tax Revenue Increase
- Wikipedia: Education in Florida
- Google Search: Florida education funding
Author: STAFF HERE TALLAHASSEE WRITER
The TALLAHASSEE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERETallahassee.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Tallahassee, Leon County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as Springtime Tallahassee, Tallahassee Jazz & Blues Festival, and LeMoyne Chain of Parks Art Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce and United Way of the Big Bend, plus leading businesses in education, healthcare, and insurance that power the local economy such as Florida State University, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare, and Capital Health Plan. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREJacksonville.com, HEREOrlando.com, HEREStPetersburg.com, and HERETampa.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Florida's dynamic landscape.
