More than two decades ago, Orange County Public Schools faced a crisis. Our infrastructure was dilapidated, our classrooms were bursting at the seams, and we lacked the funding to build the dozens of new schools our children desperately needed. I stepped up to lead the Change4Kids campaign because I believed that if we presented the facts, this community would coalesce around a vision to fix our schools.
I was right. Orange County citizens since then have repeatedly voted to tax themselves to ensure quality academics and safe buildings. The half-cent sales tax has generated billions in funding, turning a capital program that was once in disrepair into the envy of the state of Florida.
However, looking at the ledgers of our school district today, it is clear that while Orange County taxpayers are still doing their part, the state and federal government are actively working to dismantle that investment.
In Orange County alone, the expansion of universal vouchers has diverted a staggering $211 million from this year’s budget. Proponents call this “school choice,” but it is actually a siphoning of public funds into private and home school environments that, unlike our traditional schools, are not required to utilize certified teachers or track student performance with rigor.
The math is punishing for our local district. When a parent uses a voucher to pull a child from a public school, they receive more than $8,000. Yet, our school district only receives a base amount starting at $5,373 per student from the state’s general fund. To make matters worse, while private schools take the funding, Orange County Public Schools remains on the hook for providing special education services to some of those very same charter and private school students.
This fiscal strain is compounding a demographic shift unique to our region. Orange County Public Schools has seen enrollment drop by more than 6,000 students in its traditional schools. While some of this is a natural fluctuation in birth rates, we are also witnessing the consequences of federal inaction: the sunsetting of Temporary Protected Status has forced approximately 1,200 Venezuelan students to leave our Orange County schools.
This drop in enrollment, combined with the state-sanctioned drain of funds, forces our school board to make heartbreaking decisions regarding consolidating or closing schools. This threatens the very infrastructure our local sales tax was passed to build and maintain.
Even more alarming is the threat of “Schools of Hope.” A new law allows these charter entities to move into existing or closed public school buildings while demanding the district provide maintenance and utilities at no charge. The mere possibility that a private operator could commandeer public assets — paid for by Orange County taxpayers — while forcing us to foot the bill for their overhead is a breathtaking example of government overreach.
Our traditional schools in Orange County are community hubs that are delivering results. Despite these immense challenges, 96% of our students graduate, and every traditional school in the county is rated A, B, or C.
In 2002, I brought together business leaders, labor unions, and parents to save our schools because we understood that public education is the foundation our community is built upon. We cannot let state policies destroy what we have built. We must stop subsidizing unaccountable private entities and start protecting the public school system that is offering excellent choices for every child in Orange County.
Dick Batchelor is an Orlando business consultant and former Florida legislator.