The School District of Indian River County will begin this school year with nearly fully staffed classrooms and no workforce reductions after annual budget reviews saved more than $11 million since 2019. Support staff will receive raises ranging from three to four percent.
Moore attributed the district's ability to avoid cuts to yearly budget reviews and reorganization that have helped maintain staffing and quality of education. The district currently has only five teacher vacancies. Moore said the district just finished negotiations with teachers and support staff unions and was able to provide additional compensation for their work.
The budget savings have also allowed the district to create more efficient school bus routes, reducing the number of buses on the road. Moore said he does not expect rising fuel prices to become an issue for the Indian River County School District.
The raises and staffing levels stand in contrast to many counties across Florida, where school districts have made workforce reductions this year. Moore said the annual review and reorganization of the budget have helped the district avoid cuts that could impact staffing and education quality.