Local

Broward Schools looks to cut up to 1,000 jobs amid $80M deficit. 5 things to know

By Reporting by Carla Mendez. Produced with AI assistance
Broward County Public Schools plans to reduce staffing by 1,000 positions, starting with attrition before moving to targeted layoffs and non-renewals, according to superintendent Howard Hepburn.
Broward County Public Schools plans to reduce staffing by 1,000 positions, starting with attrition before moving to targeted layoffs and non-renewals, according to superintendent Howard Hepburn. Miami Herald file photo

Broward County school officials are considering eliminating up to 1,000 positions through attrition and layoffs as the district faces an $80 million budget deficit driven by years of declining student enrollment.

Superintendent Howard Hepburn announced the plan after a special school board meeting on Feb. 17.

FULL STORY: Broward Schools looks to cut 1,000 jobs as enrollment drops. Here’s what to know

Broward County Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn says the district has to make difficult decisions amid an $80 million budget deficit and declining student enrollment,
Broward County Schools Superintendent Howard Hepburn says the district has to make difficult decisions amid an $80 million budget deficit and declining student enrollment, Joe Cavaretta South Florida Sun Sentinel

Here are the highlights:

  • The district plans to reduce staffing by 1,000 positions, starting with attrition before moving to targeted layoffs and non-renewals. Teachers will not be included in the layoffs, Hepburn said.
  • The budget deficit sits at roughly $80 million this year and could reach $94 million next year based solely on enrollment loss projections, according to board member Debra Hixon.
  • Hixon said the financial problems built up over a decade. “It ballooned to a point that it has to be addressed because we’re not going to be able to continue to function,” she told the Pembroke Pines News.
  • Hepburn plans to present a new organizational chart in April showing which executive-level positions have been eliminated. The district already has a hiring freeze in place, filling vacancies only for specific needs.
  • The board also directly appointed Mark Magli, currently executive director in the Office of the Chief Auditor, as chief auditor during the same meeting. His contract has not yet been negotiated.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in the Pembroke Pines News newsroom. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by Pembroke Pines News journalists.

Read Next
Read Next

This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 5:05 AM.