School district hit with financial crisis
I am writing to express my deep dismay over the announcement on June 12 by Sarasota County Schools Superintendent Terry Connor that our district is in a financial crisis.
Connor states that this is due to “rising costs, declining revenue due to legislative actions and enrollment trends that affect funding.”
One of the biggest challenges is the state voucher program. Connor writes, “Some students who applied for Florida Empowerment Scholarship but were actually enrolled in our schools aren’t being counted in our enrollment for funding purposes. The state has yet to correct this issue.”
While the district is saying they are going to support “transitions thoughtfully,” I have just learned that multiple school counselor positions have been cut.
As a school counseling graduate student, I can tell you that this will cause serious implications for our students in regard to providing necessary interventions, mental health support, and academic services.
This will also detrimentally impact underrepresented students in the areas of exceptional student education, gifted education, career/college planning, AP/dual enrollment, and more.
I know many families and educators who will be devastated by these cuts, and for me, I hope my personal and financial investment has not been in vain.
Tamara Solum, USF graduate student, counselor education, Sarasota
Key Information
- Date Announced: June 12
- Superintendent: Terry Connor
- Issues Identified: Rising costs, declining revenue, state voucher program complications
- Impacts of Cuts: Reduced school counselor positions; negative effects on student support services and underrepresented student groups
- Contributors: Tamara Solum, USF graduate student, counselor education
Article original publish date: 2025-06-25 07:00:00
Article source: www.heraldtribune.com
Read the full story at the original source: www.heraldtribune.com
