Sarasota School Board Adopts Tentative Budget With 297 Fewer Positions Amid Enrollment Shifts

The Sarasota County School Board voted unanimously to adopt a tentative budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year during a special hearing on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 1980 Landings Boulevard in Sarasota.

The tentative budget includes approximately 5,889 positions, compared with 6,186 in the 2025-2026 school year, an estimated reduction of 297 positions, or about 4%, according to CFO Miss Jerimch's presentation. Instructional positions are estimated to decrease by 194 (about 6%), classified positions by 83 (about 2%), and administrative positions by 20 (about 7%). Of the 258 administrative positions in the tentative budget, 126 are district-based and 132 are school-based.

Officials said the reductions are intended to align staffing with declining enrollment in traditional district-operated schools while preserving class-size requirements. "These adjustments are intended to align staffing with student enrollment while preserving class size requirements and the district's educational goals," the CFO said. She noted staffing remains a rolling process that will continue through the 5-day student count.

The presentation also reported that the district's financial condition has declined from 16.53 in 2021 to a projected 7.86 in the 2026-2027 tentative budget, remaining above the board policy target of 7.5. Officials said expenditures have exceeded recurring revenues in the past three fiscal years.

The final public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, September 15, 2026, at 5:01 p.m.

Source: SCS Board Special Meeting | Tuesday, July 28, 2026 - 5:01p - Tentative Millage and Budget Hearing