9 Investigates: Projected increase in students exacerbates Florida teacher shortage

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida schools are bracing for more students next year and not enough teachers to man the classrooms.

State leaders held an estimating conference Monday in Tallahassee where experts estimated an increase of about 27,000 students next year.

Gov. Rick Scott has proposed an increase in education funding for K-12, however, 25 percent of that increase would be used to accommodate the extra students.

Statewide, schools will need an additional 1,000 teachers to handle the increase in students, officials said.

School districts say, though, that with starting pay of $35,000, they are having trouble recruiting teachers.

Scott has called for $43 million in additional funds to recruit and retain teachers, but no money has been budgeted to fund an across-the-board pay raise.

Brevard - 71,633 (73,120) +2.07%

Flagler - 12,820 (12,995) +1.36%

Lake - 41,838 (42,219) +0.91%

Marion - 42,260 (42,727) +1.11%

Orange - 195,407 (201,491) +3.11%

Osceola - 61,140 (64,180) +4.97%

Seminole - 66,236 (67,606) +2.07%

Sumter – 8,304 (8,387) +0.99%

Volusia - 62,303 (62,725) +0.67%

STATE – 2,801,408 (2,828,202) 0.96%

Cox Media Group