Uncertainty in funding, prompts budget cuts for Sarasota Schools

With Sarasota County’s first day of school Aug. 11, the School District enters the year under a hiring freeze and reduced support staff — a move leaders say is necessary to protect classrooms as they navigate a series of financial setbacks.

Superintendent Terry Connor announced the freeze on June 12, citing a combination of rising costs, projected enrollment declines and incomplete state budget information. Since then, Sarasota has faced additional statewide funding reductions, federal funding delays and cost increases that district leaders say made further adjustments unavoidable.

Early warnings for school funding

Connor set the stage for the coming school year two months ago, telling employees that the district was entering “a period that will require careful and strategic decisions.”