SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — Central Florida school districts are facing tough budget decisions, and families are starting to feel the impact. What began as confusion over a possible ban on student travel in Seminole County has grown into a much larger conversation about school funding across the region.
In Seminole County, parents and students spoke out last night after the district announced it would closely review all out-of-state student travel requests. The Oviedo High School girls’ volleyball team, the 2025 Class 6A state champions, had its planned trip to Hawaii put on hold. Families emphasize that many of these trips are funded by the teams themselves, not district dollars.
But Seminole is not alone. Orange County has closed seven schools. Brevard County approved a 7 percent reduction in staffing. Lake County is working through a $35 million budget shortfall. Volusia County is using reserve funds to cover a $25.8 million gap. Osceola County is even paying a private firm to recruit students back into its schools. Every major district in Central Florida is navigating the same pressures: declining enrollment, lower birth rates, reduced state funding, and rising costs.
Norín Dollard, a senior policy analyst with the Florida Policy Institute, says these challenges reflect a longer-term pattern. Florida has chronically underfunded public education, she notes, and recent budget increases have not kept pace with inflation. One major factor is the state’s expanding voucher program. As more families use state-funded scholarships for private school or homeschooling, the money follows the student. That means less state funding flows to traditional public schools.
Dollard explained that school districts receive money based on student enrollment. When voucher-eligible students were never in public school to begin with, districts still lose state dollars without seeing a drop in their fixed costs. Currently, five Florida districts receive no state funding at all because voucher spending has outpaced their state allocations. Those counties are Monroe, Sarasota, Martin, Collier, and Union.
Is this the new normal for Florida schools? Dollard says yes, unless families get involved. She points to local examples where parent advocacy made a difference. In Hillsborough County, voters approved a school millage with more than two-thirds of the vote. In Orange County, voters have repeatedly backed school sales tax referendums. And in 2024, lawmakers restored funding for Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, and career technical programs after parents spoke out.
For families watching tonight, the message is clear: your voice matters. Attend school board meetings. Contact your elected representatives. Stay informed about budget discussions in your district. Tough choices like school closures, staff cuts, and program reductions will likely continue without public input.
Channel 9 Eyewitness News will continue following this story. We will update you as districts release more details about their budget plans and what they mean for students, teachers, and families across Central Florida.
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