by Elyse Apel
The superintendent of a Florida school district and a spokesperson both said the district has cut its operating expenses due to a drop in the budget.
Superintendent Mark Mullins of Brevard Public Schools said the operating expenses for the district had been cut for the sixth consecutive year by more than $3.5 million.
BPS spokesman Russell Bruhn told Florida Today that, in total, “about $38 million” has been cut from the budget.
However, the district’s audited budget tells a different story. Total revenue and total expenditures have risen every year since 2012. Eight of those 10 years the district’s expenses exceeded its revenues.
Bruhn said that there has been an increase in enrollment in charter schools and an increase in family scholarships within the district, but stated Brevard Schools does not get the revenue from those students.
“While the budget has increased over the years, so has the state’s direction on where to spend the money,” Bruhn said in an email. “The vast majority of our budget is already spoken for, based on state rule. That leaves a small amount of funds for employee raises and any increases to the operating budget.”
In 2012, the total revenue for the general fund was $465.3 million. By 2021, the last year data is available, that number had increased 24%, to $574.9 million.
Total expenditures saw similar increases. In 2012, the school spent $480.7 million, with $582.3 million spent in 2021. This is a 21% increase.
Enrollment in the district, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, has remained relatively flat.
In the 2011-2012 fiscal year, enrollment was 72,906. In 2020-2021, enrollment had risen to 73,265.
Elyse Apel is a rising junior at Hillsdale College, which is located in Michigan. Originally from Oklahoma, she is studying politics and journalism. Apel is an intern for The Center Square.
Photo “Mark Mullins” by Brevard Public Schools.
