WGCU News | PBS & NPR for Southwest Florida
Teacher, assistants may be on the cuts list as Highlands County tries to make school budget ends meet in the age of vouchers
By Eileen Kelley
April 21, 2026 at 6:21 PM EDT
Preparing taxpayer-supported budgets is a feat in itself for municipal governments and school boards each year.
But lately it’s been particularly challenging for public school districts having to make ends meet with significantly lower funding from the state because taxpayer dollars are diverting to pay for charter and private schools.
During a budget workshop Tuesday, Highlands County school board members were presented with a several-million-dollar cost-saving measure that would eliminate 62 positions. More than half of those cuts would mean pulling teachers and para-professional teachers out of the classroom next year.
The cuts would represent a $3.9 million savings, the board members were told.
Hit hard are the teachers in the VPK, or volunteer pre-kindergarten program, as well as physical education paraprofessionals.
Tuesday’s discussions was just that, a discussion on how to make ends meet. It follows a meeting two weeks ago when superintendent Brenda Longshore identified 19.5 positions at the districtwide level for a savings of over $1.1 million.
Board members encouraged her to keeping finding additional cuts but many stressed not to take teachers from the classroom.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.
But lately it’s been particularly challenging for public school districts having to make ends meet with significantly lower funding from the state because taxpayer dollars are diverting to pay for charter and private schools.
During a budget workshop Tuesday, Highlands County school board members were presented with a several-million-dollar cost-saving measure that would eliminate 62 positions. More than half of those cuts would mean pulling teachers and para-professional teachers out of the classroom next year.
The cuts would represent a $3.9 million savings, the board members were told.
Hit hard are the teachers in the VPK, or volunteer pre-kindergarten program, as well as physical education paraprofessionals.
Tuesday’s discussions was just that, a discussion on how to make ends meet. It follows a meeting two weeks ago when superintendent Brenda Longshore identified 19.5 positions at the districtwide level for a savings of over $1.1 million.
Board members encouraged her to keeping finding additional cuts but many stressed not to take teachers from the classroom.
WGCU is your trusted source for news and information in Southwest Florida. We are a nonprofit public service, and your support is more critical than ever. Keep public media strong and donate now. Thank you.