First-year teachers across the district could lose their jobs next school year as Sarasota County Schools plans to cut 180 instructional staff positions in response to funding shortfalls.
The staff reductions come as the state diverts millions of dollars to school vouchers for families to pay private school tuition, inflation outpaces state funding for public education, and special Covid-19 earmarked funds dry up. In Sarasota, a county with an aging population, public student enrollment has also flatlined in recent years, meaning less money for schools.
The cuts mirror those at school districts across Florida, which have slashed programming and even closed schools amid mounting budget pressures. In Sarasota, an A-rated school district in a property-rich region that enjoys enthusiastic community support, the roughly 6 percent reduction in instructional staff has come as a shock…