BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. — While Broward County Public Schools faces a budget crisis due to declines in student enrollment, School Board members were set to vote on job cuts.
Superintendent Howard Hepburn presented “the 1,000-position reduction plan,” which includes 700 vacant positions and 300 current employees.
The list includes mental health counselors, social workers, and student support instructional specialists.
“They are cutting people that actually work with children,” said Anna Fusco, the president of the Broward Teachers Union. “Everybody that works with students is educating in a different way. I’m a classroom teacher if I have a kid who came in and said my mom died that’s a mental health issue. I’m gonna call my school counselor or my social worker.”
Student support instructional specialist Patrusca Vil doesn’t know if she’ll have a job next school year. Her whole department is on the chopping block.
“Without us, all support staff, we’re with the children. If you want kids to come back, you have got to give resources and give them reasons to come back.”
Hepburn said the budget emphasizes protecting educators, and a big effort was made to prioritize cutting vacant positions and central office staff.
Adam Cervera, a School Board member, suggested cutting positions that will not affect classroom operations.
“The only thing that organizational chart does is ensure that the KCW staff will have jobs next year,” Cervera said about the Kathleen C. Wright Administration Center. “But, is that really the goal?”
The School Board recently approved $254.3 million to increase some salaries. Voters will have a referendum on the ballot on Nov 3 to decide on the renewal of a property tax increase that was approved in 2022.
Watch the special School Board meeting
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