A sharp decline in middle school enrollment over the past decade has spawned a bold plan to reconfigure the county’s public education infrastructure by expanding and combining several elementary and middle schools, while relocating others.
The goal is to refill half-empty classrooms and save on operating expenses while creating better learning environments for students.
The move comes amid growing competition for students and the state funding they bring with them. Florida’s school voucher system – the so-called Family Empowerment Scholarship Program – pays $8,000 to $10,000 or more per student per year for private school tuition or homeschooling…