BY DAN HILDEBRAN
Union County’s school district is grappling with a nearly $1.4 million budget shortfall this year and facing similar losses in the coming years, forcing Superintendent Mike Ripplinger to consider a dramatic restructuring that could include combining the middle and high schools into a single campus.
In a somber district-wide meeting on Wednesday, February 11, the superintendent laid out the financial reality to staff members during a professional learning day, detailing how the Florida Department of Education’s third calculation from the state showed a loss of 104 full-time equivalent students, far worse than anticipated.
“Not only are we having to deal with what the loss was this year, but we’re also already looking at another loss next year and then another loss next year,” Ripplinger said in a follow-up interview, pointing to state projections showing continued enrollment declines through 2029.
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
The district began the school year with a budget based on 2,100 FTE students. State projections now show that number dropping to 1,845 by the 2026-27 school year — a decline of 255 students worth approximately $2.3 million in lost revenue at roughly $9,200 per FTE.
The funding formula is complex and constantly shifting. Florida’s school districts receive multiple calculations throughout the year based on student counts, enrollment trends, and projections. While Union County tried to estimate conservatively, Ripplinger said, “Never did I think it would be almost 104 FTE loss” in the third calculation.
Adding to the challenge, the district depends on the state for 85% or more of its funding, making it far more vulnerable to state budget changes than larger districts with substantial local property tax revenue.
“Where other districts can get way more in property taxes and local taxes than what they get from the state,” Ripplinger explained. “Ours is just the opposite. What happens with the funding from the state has major implications for us.”
Restructuring on the Table
To address the crisis, Ripplinger is considering several major changes:
Moving fifth grade back to elementary school: The elementary campus once housed 1,050 to 1,100 students, but now has about 840, creating available capacity.
Combining middle and high schools: While physical space constraints prevent moving all middle school students to the high school campus, the two campuses are close enough that students could walk between them. This consolidation would create efficiencies in staffing, cafeteria operations, and teaching assignments.
“We’re probably going to look at combining the middle and high school as one school,” Ripplinger said, noting that nearby districts, including Bradford County’s planned new school, Keystone Heights, Bell, Trenton, Lafayette, and Williston, have already combined middle and high school grades.
The consolidation would reduce duplicate positions and allow for more efficient use of facilities, such as running one cafeteria instead of two, for example, and creating more flexible teaching schedules that allow instructors to teach both middle and high school students.
Staff reductions: The superintendent acknowledged that personnel cuts are inevitable, as staffing represents the largest area for savings. “At the end of the day, the biggest savings come in personnel,” he said.
Other Cost-Cutting Measures
Beyond restructuring, the district could:
– Eliminate district-paid transportation for athletic teams and extracurricular competitions, requiring teams to fundraise for travel costs,
– Suspend the sick leave buyout program that typically costs $50,000 to $70,000 annually,
– Reduce supplemental employee benefits,
– Review all contracted services and digital platforms to determine what’s truly necessary,
– Scale back various “extras” the district has traditionally provided.
Ripplinger said he plans to have a restructuring plan finalized by early April and will make himself available for full-day question-and-answer sessions at each school to hear from staff.
The Bigger Picture
Union County’s challenges mirror those facing school districts statewide, from affluent St. Johns County, which is losing $10 million annually to scholarships, to large urban districts like Miami-Dade and Duval.
The root causes are multiple: declining birth rates in Florida, increased enrollment in private schools and homeschooling enabled by expanded voucher programs, rising costs for employee retirement and minimum wage requirements, and constant shifts in state funding formulas.
“It’s hard to gain stability,” Ripplinger said, comparing the budgeting process to “trying to hit a moving target blindfolded riding a horse because it’s constantly changing.”
The superintendent said he has been in contact with state legislators, including State Senator Jennifer Bradley and State Representative Chuck Brannan, as well as the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and the Department of Education, seeking both immediate relief and longer-term changes to how small rural districts are funded.
“I’m hoping that people in Tallahassee understand the plight of small rural school districts as well, and that some changes could be made,” he said.
A Potential Silver Lining
Ripplinger sees Union County’s proposed half-cent sales tax initiative as a crucial piece of financial stability for the district. Unlike state funding, local sales tax revenue would be predictable and would likely grow incrementally each year.
“At least we would know, ‘Hey, we know that for the next so many years, we’re going to be getting at least this amount of money that we can make plans with,’” he said. “That little nugget of stability would be big for our county.”
The district has been in state-mandated financial recovery status since last March and must regularly submit updated financial plans to the Florida Department of Education.
