- December 4, 2025
Volusia County School's budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 is coming in higher than expected.
In late July, the School Board had approved a tentative budget and millage rate of $1.17 billion and 5.279 mills, respectively. While the tax rate, a 2.99% increase over the rollback rate, remained the same at the district's first budget hearing on Tuesday, Sept. 9, the budget rose to $1.36 billion.
Chief Financial Officer Todd Seis said this was a result of a late entry from the Florida Department of Education, which came in on Sept. 2.
The School Board approved the tax rate and budget with a 4-1 vote, with School Board member Donna Brosemer voting against.
"I confess I was a lot more comfortable at the workshop when the projected budget was going to be closer to $1.1 billion," Brosemer said.
Looking at student enrollment data from 10 years ago compared to today, Brosemer said numbers were similar but that the district's budget had increased by almost 75%.
She was also concerned about how much of the operating budget — now 71.5% according to staff —was dedicated to salaries and benefits, adding that she'd like for the district to look at its internal structure for next fiscal year.
VCS is projecting to have about 54,127 traditional students in 2026, based on DOE's forecast model. That is a reduction of about 1,412 students from the second survey conducted in 2025.
Where the district is seeing growth, Seis said, is in its scholarship programs — about 1,627 more are projected for 2025.
Due to the late entry by DOE, the new budget breakdown is:
Seis said the district is continuing its controlled spend down approach, using reserves to balance the budget. The district is at a $12 million operating deficit, leaving VCS with a little over 5% in its unassigned fund balance.
School Board Chair Jamie Haynes said it's often said in the community that the district has a large budget; people often divide the total amount by the number of students enrolled to find the amount of dollars spent per student.
Haynes said this isn't an accurate representation.
"They just believe that that is all cash flow — that we have a choice of how we spend it," she said. "But under this, even our debt is included as part of that amount of money, along with our capital projects funding, our special revenue funding, our internal service funding, and the charter school money that comes in to us and goes out the door is also part of that money."
In response to Brosemer's concerns, Haynes said that costs have increased for capital projects since the COVID-19 pandemic. Everything is more expensive — including personnel costs as teachers are now getting paid more.
Seven years ago, the starting salary for a teacher in Volusia County was $39,200. Last year, it was $49,201.
"I just don't know that it's a fair comparison, because it's costing more to do all of these things and to keep up with what we're doing," Haynes said.
School Board member Krista Goodrich agreed, stating during her closing comments that it's "not apples to apples to compare 2015 to 2025."
In addition to salary increases, the district has felt the impacts of a higher costs for insurance, supplies, cost of materials for building and fortifying schools – mandates for which were amped up after the Parkland shooting in 2018.
Board members, overall, commended Seis and the finance department for their work on the budget, which was provided to the board in a line item format.
"I know the state throws wrenches into that budget constantly, so I do appreciate you putting that for us all together and having it out there for the public to see," School Board member Jessie Thompson said.
