Miami-Dade School Board approves $7.4 billion budget for 2026-27
Key Points(5)
- The Miami-Dade County School Board has approved a $7.4 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with more than 96% of spending directed toward teaching, student services and other school-level operations.
- The budget prioritizes classroom instruction, specialized student services, school safety and employee compensation while maintaining funding for art, music and foreign language programs across Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
- “A budget is ultimately a reflection of our core values, and this plan proves that our highest priority will always be our children and the dedicated educators who care for them every single day,” Superintendent Rafael A.
- Villalobos said the district is directing resources toward frontline instruction, student services, safety and competitive compensation as it seeks to maintain its standing as a seven-year A-rated district.
- The spending plan also accounts for an anticipated decline in student enrollment, with the district establishing a substantial reserve for full-time equivalent, or FTE, students.
The Miami-Dade County School Board has approved a $7.4 billion budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with more than 96% of spending directed toward teaching, student services and other school-level operations.
The budget prioritizes classroom instruction, specialized student services, school safety and employee compensation while maintaining funding for art, music and foreign language programs across Miami-Dade County Public Schools.
“A budget is ultimately a reflection of our core values, and this plan proves that our highest priority will always be our children and the dedicated educators who care for them every single day,” Superintendent Rafael A. Villalobos said.
Villalobos said the district is directing resources toward frontline instruction, student services, safety and competitive compensation as it seeks to maintain its standing as a seven-year A-rated district.
The spending plan also accounts for an anticipated decline in student enrollment, with the district establishing a substantial reserve for full-time equivalent, or FTE, students.
School officials said declining birth rates, changing migration patterns and Miami’s high cost of living are among the factors expected to put downward pressure on enrollment.
For the 2026-27 fiscal year, the district’s millage rate will decrease slightly to 6.623 from 6.633 last year. School officials said the overall rate remains among the lowest in more than four decades.
Funding from the voter-approved referendum will continue to be divided between employee compensation and school safety, with 88% going toward teacher salaries and 12% allocated to security.
According to the district, the funding will help keep teacher salaries above the national average while ensuring every school has an officer on-site, as required under Florida law.
The budget also maintains health care benefits for district employees and increases funding for repairs to school facilities and improvements to campus security.
District officials said the spending plan is designed to balance those investments with fiscal responsibility as Miami-Dade schools prepare for enrollment and economic pressures in the coming year.
