The Charlotte County School Board approved its tentative budget Thursday night, passing a spending plan for the upcoming school year that includes a projected $9.5 million shortfall.
The district’s total tentative budget is $555,093,183. The gap comes from a combination of delayed federal grant funding, increased state withholdings for students using Family Empowerment Scholarships, and higher required contributions to the Florida Retirement System.
Watch Fox 4’s Alex Orenczuk report on Charlotte County Public Schools tentative 2025-2026 budget:
Charlotte County School Board passes budget, navigates $9.5M shortfall
To cover the shortfall, the school district plans to use reserve funds while also cutting costs outside the classroom. Chief Financial Officer Marcus Allen said the strategy was built around the goal of protecting students from any impacts…