Orange County Public Schools adopts $4.9B budget

The budget, totaling $4,927,583,379, is about $35 million less than the district’s 2019-20 budget.

By Michael Eng
| 10:44 a.m. September 10, 2020

West Orange Times & Observer
News

The Orange County School Board on Tuesday, Sept. 8, adopted its budget for 2020-21.

The budget, totaling $4,927,583,379, is about $35 million less than the district’s 2019-20 budget, which totaled $4,962,614,845. It includes about $60.5 million in CARES Act funding — $55.4 million from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and $5.1 million from the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund.

The School Board also adopted a 6.857 millage rate, which is lower than the district’s 2019-20 rate, 7.109.

The district’s budget is divided into five different funds: General, Debt Service, Capital Projects, Special Revenue and Internal Service. Of those, only the Debt Service ($5,917,063 change) and Internal Service ($13,647,607 change) increased from the prior year.

For a complete summary of the 2020-21 budget, click here.

GENERAL FUND
The $2,218,328,757 General Fund is the operating budget of the school district. The board’s priorities for these funds include: reopening with three instructional models; implementing COVID-19 safety measures; social emotional learning; preserving academic programs; retaining highly qualified teachers; and protecting arts, athletics and student activities.

Impacts on this fund include: FTE/enrollment decline; Florida retirement system rate increase of 18% ($15.5M); the previous year’s 1.5% salary impact on FY21 budget ($17M); an additional pre-planning day for instructional staff ($4.7M); Family Empowerment Scholarship ($15.8M); and looming state revenue shortfalls.

CAPITAL PROJECTS
The $1,953,201,696 Capital Projects Fund is used for renovations, new schools, capital renewal, and debt service and operations.

The district will open 16 new schools in the next five years: Sunshine Elementary (2020), Summerlake Elementary (2020), Vista Pointe Elementary (2020), 113-H-W-4 (2021), 43-E-SE-2 (2021), 80-H-SW-4 (2021), 89-E-W-4 (2022), 114-E-W-4 (2022), 30-E-SE-3 (2022), 90-K8-N-7 (2022), 132-M-W-4 (2022), 118-E-SW-5 (2023), 65-M-W-4 (2023), 45-M-SE-2 (2023), 47-E-W-4 (2024) and 58-E-SE-2 (2024).

The district also has comprehensive construction projects for Orange Technical College — Orlando and Orange Technical College — Westside.

INTERNAL SERVICE
The $362,449,466 Internal Service Fund is used to account for the district’s Employee Benefit Trust Fund, Property Casualty Loss Fund and Printing Services Fund.

SPECIAL REVENUE
The $159,852,546 Special Revenue budget includes only the Food Service Program, a self-supporting operation. Funding is through federal reimbursement and USDA commodities, as well as local sales.

Meal prices will remain the same for 2020‐21.

DEBT SERVICE
The $233,750,914 Debt Service Fund accumulates resources to pay long-term debt.

author

Michael Eng

As a child, Editor and Publisher Michael Eng collected front pages of the Kansas City Star during Operation Desert Storm, so it was a foregone conclusion that he would pursue a career in journalism. He holds a journalism degree from the University of Missouri — Columbia School of Journalism. When he’s not working, you can find him spending time with his wife and three children, or playing drums around town. He’s also a sucker for dad jokes.