Duval County Public Schools has fewer than 100,000 students in its traditional public schools for the first time in more than 50 years, a decline that is putting additional financial pressure on the district.

The district's 20-day enrollment count for the 2026-27 school year stands at 97,475 students, The Florida Trib reported. That represents a 16% decline from 2015, when more than 115,000 students attended traditional Duval public schools, according to district data reported by Action News Jax.

The last time traditional public school enrollment was this low, Jacksonville's population was roughly half its current 1 million residents, according to The Florida Trib.

Because Florida's school funding formula is tied to enrollment, fewer students mean less state funding for the district. Norin Dollard, a researcher at the Florida Policy Institute, told Action News Jax on Wednesday, Sept. 30, that the financial impact is substantial.

"What happens is, you know, 20,000 kids times — this year — $9,500, or let's say 10-grand … that's a huge drop in revenue coming in," Dollard said.

Where the students went

The decline has been attributed to several factors, including expanded school-choice programs, declining birth rates and increased immigration enforcement, according to Dollard and The Florida Trib's reporting.

The number of Duval students receiving scholarships or vouchers grew from about 3,000 in 2015 to roughly 29,000 in 2026, according to district data. About 7,000 students entered the voucher program during the 2026-27 academic year alone. Homeschool enrollment has nearly doubled since 2015 to about 10,000 students, while charter school enrollment has increased by close to 15,000 over the same period.

Florida's Family Empowerment Scholarship program, expanded in 2023 to make eligibility broadly available regardless of household income, has been cited as one factor in the decline.

District reduces teacher positions by 110

To match staffing with enrollment, the district announced a net reduction of 110 teacher positions following its enrollment review, according to a letter to parents reported by News4Jax. Last year, 115 teacher positions were reallocated through the same process, Action News Jax reported.

The district said the reductions primarily affect positions rather than people, with some of the eliminated positions already vacant. Jessica Reyst, executive vice president of the Duval Teachers Union, told News4Jax on Sept. 14 that the 110 positions should be viewed in the context of the district's teaching workforce of about 6,800.

Schools with higher-than-expected enrollment will gain teachers, while those with lower enrollment may lose positions. The district has not publicly identified the schools affected by the reallocations.

Broader cost-cutting already underway

The enrollment decline has already contributed to significant changes across Duval schools. The district closed four elementary schools for the 2026-27 school year: George Washington Carver, Hidden Oaks, Don Brewer and Hyde Grove.

The district has also changed class schedules as it adjusts operations. Most traditional high schools moved to seven-period schedules, while several magnet high schools retained eight-period block schedules.

Tracy Pierce, head of enrollment and marketing at Duval County Public Schools, told The Florida Trib that funding pressure is tied directly to student counts. Pierce said revenue depends in part on enrollment, making those numbers critical to district financial planning.

What comes next

The state's October enrollment survey will provide another key measure used in calculating funding for the 2026-27 school year.

Florida conducts multiple full-time equivalent student membership surveys during the school year rather than relying on a single enrollment count. Duval uses its earlier 10- and 20-day enrollment counts to adjust staffing and estimate the state funding it expects to receive for the fall term.