PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — Palm Beach County schools face declining enrollment affecting budget, teacher pay and staffing as voters prepare for November property tax referendum.
WATCH BELOW: 'The budget and enrollment go together in lock step,' Superintendent Mike Burke tells WPTV's Joel Lopez
As Palm Beach County students return to classrooms Monday, the School District of Palm Beach County confronts a mounting enrollment crisis that has already slashed $100 million from its budget, according to Superintendent Mike Burke. The district faces another potential decline of 2,900 students this year while preparing for a critical November referendum that could determine funding for teacher raises and school safety programs.
Enrollment decline hits district budget hard
The financial impact of declining enrollment has become increasingly severe for Palm Beach County schools. Last year's loss of approximately 7,000 students translated directly into a $100 million budget reduction, Burke told WPTV.
"The budget and enrollment go together in lock step," Burke said, explaining how state funding formulas tie district revenue directly to student counts. "We are funded on a per student basis and when the enrollment goes down, the money goes down."
This year's projected decline of 2,900 additional students threatens to compound existing financial pressures, affecting everything from teacher compensation to program offerings.
November referendum could provide relief
District leaders point to the upcoming property tax referendum as a potential solution to mounting budget challenges. The November ballot measure would fund school choice programs, teacher raises, and enhanced safety initiatives across Palm Beach County schools.
"Each year we hope to add more programs," Burke said, referring to school choice options that allow students to attend schools outside their assigned zones.
The referendum funding has already supported visible improvements in campus security, according to School Police Chief Sarah Mooney. Tax dollars have funded updated technology, emergency devices, and metal detectors across district schools.
“We're really fortunate to be in Palm Beach County, because we enjoyed the support of our local voters,” Burke said.
Burke pointed to the district’s voter-approved property tax referendum, first introduced in 2018, as a key reason Palm Beach County has been able to remain competitive when it comes to teacher pay and school programs.
“It was actually my recommendation as CFO that we go to the voters for a one mil property tax Levy or allow us to pay our teachers more so that's been in place,” Burke said. “It's been approved by voters twice by law we have to go back every four years so it's time to go back to the voters.”
The referendum will once again appear before voters in November. According to Burke, half of the funding generated from the levy goes directly toward teacher salaries.
“Half of that levy goes straight to teacher pay and we call it referendum supplements,” Burke explained.
He said teachers receive additional pay based on experience.
“After one year their salary goes up $1,000 if they have 5 to 9 years additional $5,000 added to their base salary and then 10 more years of experience $10,000,” Burke said. “It's really helped us. Our teachers in Palm Beach County are some of the best paid in the state and better paid in our surrounding counties in South Florida.”
Even with financial concerns, Burke says the district recently reached an agreement with the CTA at the end of July on teacher raises tied to new state funding that was passed.
“I'm pleased report that we have settled,” Burke said. “The state has provided about $10 million for us through the states Teacher salary increase allocation.”
Burke said state lawmakers placed strict guidelines on how those funds could be distributed limiting it to classroom teachers with 10 more years of experience teaching in Florida.
“We made that offer to classroom teachers, but counselors, media specialist, and we had to put some local money behind that but we were able to offer 2.187% for members of the Teacher group to have 10 more years experience.
Safety measures show early results
Metal detectors installed with referendum funding have already intercepted weapons on campus, Mooney confirmed. Two guns were detected after school hours began — one carried by a visitor and another by a student — though neither incident posed an active threat to school safety.
"The most important thing we have is the people on our campuses," Mooney said, emphasizing how funding improvements enhance overall school security.
Teacher negotiations complicated by budget pressures
Union negotiations for additional teacher raises face uncertainty as enrollment numbers continue declining. Burke acknowledged that future compensation discussions depend heavily on stabilizing student enrollment and securing referendum funding.
"The union wants to come back to the table and continue to negotiate for more, and we're really going to have to see how things go with our enrollment," Burke explained.
Haitian community departures add to enrollment concerns
The district has already lost 19 Haitian staff members following the expiration of Temporary Protected Status protections, raising concerns about potential student departures from Haitian families in Palm Beach County.
District officials are monitoring enrollment impacts tied to federal immigration policy changes that may prompt additional families to leave the area.
District launches aggressive recruitment efforts
Facing continued enrollment pressure, Palm Beach County schools have created a dedicated enrollment office and expanded marketing efforts to attract students from outside the county.
The recruitment strategy represents a significant shift as the district competes with neighboring school systems and private school options for students in South Florida's competitive education market.
Burke emphasized that district priorities for the new school year include improving early literacy outcomes and expanding school choice programs, contingent on voter approval of the November referendum.
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