Broward’s $100 Million Deficit: Teachers Deserve Answers — Florida Deserves Transparency - And taxpayers deserve reparations.

The Chairman
8 hours ago
3 min read

This week’s School Board meeting in Broward County delivered a sobering message: the district is facing a $100 million deficit, declining enrollment, construction overruns, and serious budget instability. The question that should be asked is; Who in a leadership capacity is responsible?

According to Broward Teachers Union President Anna Fusco, educators and students are being asked to absorb the consequences of decisions they did not create — while upper administration remains insulated - teachers and students are expected to pay the price for upper administration bad decisions.

The question is no longer whether there is a problem.

The question is: Who is ensuring accountability and how did this happen?

What We Know

At the recent board meeting, the following were publicly acknowledged:

A $100 million district deficit
Students leaving the district
Mismanaged construction spending
Budget instability at the senior administrative level
Potential elimination of between 1,000 to 4,700 positions
Possible staff removals at KC Wright, Arthur Ashe, and Rock Island facilities

At the same time, teachers and support staff continue to deliver strong academic outcomes despite:

Staffing shortages
Increased district-imposed testing
Expanding unfunded mandates
Rising healthcare costs
Limited Choices
Increased student class size

Educators are doing more with less — yet the fiscal instability persists for the employees.

The Central Question: Where Is the Accountability? Who will be held accountable?

If there is a $100 million deficit, then the public deserves clarity:

Where did the money go?
How were construction projects managed?
How much referendum revenue was allocated to administrative raises?
Why has a revenue-generating opportunity reportedly been delayed in the legal department for two years?
Why are classrooms potentially being impacted before central office restructuring is fully addressed?
How did we get here?

As any business leader understands: Revenue – Expenses = Sustainability.

If the district is “building the plane while flying it,” that signals reactive governance — not strategic financial management.

A Respectful Call for State-Level Oversight

This is why we respectfully call upon Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, Blaise Ingoglia, for assistance and review.

The CFO’s office plays a critical role in financial oversight, accountability, and ensuring taxpayer dollars are stewarded responsibly.

We respectfully request:

A financial transparency review of Broward County Public Schools
Independent audit clarification on the $100 million deficit
Examination of referendum allocations and administrative compensation
Oversight into stalled revenue opportunities
Public reporting to restore taxpayer and educator confidence

This is not partisan. It is fiduciary.

Why This Matters Beyond Broward

Broward County is one of the largest school districts in the nation. Its financial health impacts:

Teachers
Education support professionals
Students and parents
Property values
Taxpayers statewide
Business and Employers
Student Job skills
Attraction of future business and employers

When deficits of this magnitude emerge, they rarely resolve without difficult consequences — layoffs, program cuts, school closures, benefit reductions, and reputation deficits.

Teachers did not create this crisis.

Students did not create this crisis.

Taxpayers did not create this crisis.

Leadership decisions did. Why should the students and employees suffer?

Educators Are Not the Line Item to Cut

The BTU has made it clear: educators will not quietly accept instability created by mismanagement.

If senior administration receives raises while classrooms face cuts, the optics alone demand investigation.

If programs drain resources without measurable return on investment, they must be evaluated.

If legal delays are costing the district millions in potential revenue, that must be addressed immediately. This is basic financial stewardship.

Transparency Restores Trust

Florida has built its reputation on fiscal responsibility. Broward County must meet that same standard. CFO Blaise Ingoglia, we respectfully ask for your assistance in ensuring:

Full transparency
Clear financial reporting
Independent accountability
Protection of classrooms and student services
Reputation Restoration

Because once public trust erodes, rebuilding it is far more expensive than protecting it.

The educators of Broward County deserve stability. The students deserve continuity.

Taxpayers deserve answers.

Which Political Party has aligned itself with Fascism or Communism and is asking workers to work for Free or for very little pay and be happy? Which Political party is asking its workers to pay for leadership's bad or corrupt decisions? Which political party has told the physicians how to treat their patients and limited the choices of the patient and the physician?

🔎 Accountability & Transparency Focus

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🍎 Teacher & Student Advocacy

#SupportTeachers#ProtectClassrooms#StudentsFirst#EducationMatters#TeachersDeserveBetter#FundTheClassroom#StopTheCuts#EducationStability#RespectEducators

💰 Economic & Business Framing (your strong lane)

#RevenueMinusExpenses#StewardshipMatters#BusinessPrinciples#AccountabilityInLeadership#SustainableBudgets#ReturnOnInvestment#FinancialLeadership#LeadershipMatters