LCS Board Member Alva Smith Discusses Closing Schools

On April 22, 2024, Leon County School (LCS) Board Member Alva Smith stated one of her budget priorities is to look at the financial impact of downsizing the school district due to declining enrollment. Smith explained it was a vital conversation about downsizing stating, “We are not being fiscally responsible and good stewards of tax payers’ dollars if we do not discuss downsizing in this district.” She continued, “If we do not discuss closing a school, we are not being good stewards.”

In recent years, Leon County School District has faced a decline in student enrollment. This decline can be attributed, in part, to the Covid Pandemic when students were forced to leave school and attend virtual learning. From 2019-2021, the District lost 1,519 students alone.

Additionally, Smith stated, “We are not the only District in this state having to have this conversation. But we are one that is consistently declining enrollment, and something’s got to give.” She continued, “The data is there. It’s very clear. There are certain schools that consistently decline.”

Due to the steady decline of student enrollment each year, the District is now dealing with the issue of a tighter budget. This loss of funding has placed the District in a competition with private and charter schools. Each student that leaves a Leon County public school for a private or charter school takes approximately $7,775 with them. Over the past five years, the District has lost a total of 2,578 students.

Lastly, Smith further addressed the issue stating, “This is going to be a long discussion. This is not going to be a ‘let’s close this school and let’s do it in August’ … no one wants to do it, I don’t want to do it, but as we look at the numbers and they continue to decline, and our overall budget continues to decline, this is where this money could come from.”

Elementary School Population Trends

The table below provides the unweighted student full-time equivalent, or FTE, for 22 Leon County elementary schools for 20119/20, 2022/23, & 2023/24. The table also provides the school capacity.

The schools are sorted by the largest to smallest decline in FTE’s over the 2019/20 – 2023/24 period.

The data shows:

-FTE’s at five schools have declined 20% or more from 2020 to 2024.
-Seven schools had FTE declines from 2023 to 2024.
-Eight schools which have a current capacity of less than 75%.

There are four schools – Springwood, Hartsfield, Astoria Park, and Sealey – which have experienced a 20% or more FTE decline over the last five years, a FTE decline from 2023 to 2024, and are currently below 75% capacity.

Two schools – Bond, Sabal Palm – have experienced a five-year FTE decline of over 10%, but have rebounded with positive growth from 2023 to 2024.

Four schools – Gilchrist, Riley, Buck Lake, Kate Sullivan – are currently over 90% capacity.