Florida board criticizes school administrative growth as enrollment shrinks
Tampa Bay Times | Jeffrey S. Solochek | April 20, 2026
The big story: State Board of Education members said Friday that Florida’s school districts have grown their administrative ranks too large, and they have to stop.
“This is a concerning trend,” board chairperson Ryan Petty said.
Petty said he wanted to put districts — particularly those with declining enrollment — on notice that they must justify such financial decisions.
Districts across the state, including Pinellas, have been closing schools and reducing positions to combat the decline. But state data indicates that they have seen administration swell.
Petty pointed to a chart showing school district administration statewide had increased 48% over 20 years compared to student gains of 8%. He said he intended to work with the Department of Education and board to place increased emphasis on getting money as close to student instruction as possible.
“Sitting in that administration budget is about as far away from the classroom as it can be,” Petty said, questioning how administrators play a role in student learning.
He raised the issue during a conversation about the financial emergencies declared for Union and Glades counties earlier in the month.
The superintendent for Union County issued a statement that Florida’s increase in state-funded vouchers played a role in his district’s monetary woes. The Florida Policy Institute supported that stance.
Kamoutsas flatly rejected the argument. Yes, he said, school choice has expanded.
“But blaming that for the financial condition of Union County … it’s an excuse, not an explanation,” he said. “This is not about school choice. It’s about decisions. It’s about priorities and it’s about accountability.”
Moving ahead, Kamoutsas said, districts will find that accountability is not optional.
State Board member Daniel Foganholi told his colleagues not to focus solely on small districts teetering on the edge. For them, “one small misstep and it’s fiscal emergency that quick,” he said, arguing the state should help them more.
Larger districts, by contrast, can get away with larger missteps and not feel the pain, Foganholi said, calling for added scrutiny on their budgets, too. Petty and others on the board said they agreed.
