Leon school board member calls for 'downsizing' discussion amid declining enrollment

Over the last five years, Leon County Schools has lost 2,578 students, and along with that a significant amount of state funding, with some schools no longer operating at capacity.

Still reeling from a pandemic drop-off and facing fierce competition with charter and private schools under the state's yearslong expansion of vouchers, districts across Florida have been involved in discussions about closing schools with low enrollment to save and accommodate declining budgets. Duval County Public Schools has recently identified 30 schools that could be shut down due to low enrollments and high costs.

The issue hit home in Tallahassee Monday when school board member Alva Swafford Smith suggested LCS should consider the possibility of downsizing in response to the local enrollment decline.

"We are not being fiscally responsible and good stewards of taxpayer dollars if we do not discuss downsizing in this district," Smith said during an agenda review meeting. "If we do not discuss closing a school, we are not being good stewards."

"We are not the only district in this state that is having to have this conversation, and something's got to give."

The state's median funding for each student is $7,775, meaning that money goes to private or charter schools if a student leaves the district. There has been a consistent decline in the district each year, with two of the district's Title 1 schools taking the biggest hit.

"The money follows the student and the family," Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a charter school in Jacksonville when asked about the possible school closings in Jacksonville.

Despite the decline in enrollment, LCS Superintendent Rocky Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat by email that the district has no need to discuss a measure as drastic as closing schools.

"We are not considering closing any schools at this time," Hanna told the Tallahassee Democrat on Thursday.

A look at enrollment trends over the last five years

The district's biggest loss was from the academic years between 2019 to 2021, when the pandemic forced students and faculty to operate remotely. The district lost 1,519 students, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Here are the enrollment trends showing a loss in student population for LCS over the last five years, according to FDOE records:

• In the 2019-20 academic year, the district's total enrollment was 33,847 students. Of that total, 1,667 were enrolled in charter schools.
• In the 2020-21 academic year, the total enrollment was 32,845 students, and 2,184 of those students were enrolled in charter schools.
• In 2021-22, the total enrollment was 32,562 students, with 2,352 of that total enrolled in charter schools.
• In 2022-23, the total enrollment was 32,212 students, and of that total, 2,316 were enrolled in charter schools.
• This school year, 2023-24, the district has reported an enrollment of 31,769 students, 2,167 of which are enrolled in charter schools.

At Monday's meeting, Smith said there are multiple schools in the district with consistently declining enrollment year-by-year. Those schools, according to FDOE records that appear to support her claim are:

• Deerlake Middle School had an enrollment of 1,042 in 2019, and currently has an enrollment of 879.
• Elizabeth Cobb Middle School had an enrollment of 805 students in 2019, and currently has an enrollment of 680.
• Sealey Elementary School, which is a Title 1 school, had an enrollment of 493 students in 2019, and currently has 388 students.
• Springwood Elementary School, which is a Title 1 school, had an enrollment of 563 students in 2019, and currently has an enrollment of 419 students.

During the fall semester of 2019, the district began discussing plans to combat competition as charter and private school voucher options were expanding.

The district recently launched a rebranding campaign and new logo to position itself as a notable competitor to charter and private schools in Leon County and better recruit and retain students.

More:Leon County Schools launch rebranding with new logo, video, other marketing efforts

Alaijah Brown covers children & families for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at ABrown1@gannett.com.