Budget cuts have increased class sizes across St. Johns County schools, with Palencia Elementary reporting an average of 20.76 students in kindergarten through third grade, above Florida's 18-student limit for core academic classes.

The St. Johns County School District confirmed that class-size increases affect every school and grade level, kindergarten through 12th grade, this school year, Action News Jax reported Oct. 7.

At Palencia, four kindergarten teachers serve 85 students, compared with five teachers serving 95 students last year. Parents told Action News Jax that some kindergarten classes have reached 23 students.

The district said Palencia's kindergarten-through-third-grade average of 20.76 also includes its exceptional student education prekindergarten class.

Although class sizes have increased districtwide, the district has not established that every school exceeds Florida's legal limits.

Budget shortfall drives staffing reductions

The increases follow a projected $23 million budget shortfall that prompted staffing reductions and other cost-cutting measures.

The district built its previous budget around an expected 4% increase in enrollment. Actual growth reached only 1% between the August and fall enrollment counts, leaving the district about 1,000 students short of projections, St. Johns Citizen reported in February.

Because Florida allocates much of its public school funding based on enrollment, the slower growth contributed to an $8 million funding gap for the 2025-26 school year. District officials also projected a $15 million shortfall for 2026-27.

Superintendent Brennan Asplen and District 4 School Board Vice Chair Kelly Barrera discussed the financial challenges during an April 13 meeting hosted by the Palm Valley Community Association.

The district's cost-cutting strategy included increasing average class sizes by approximately two students, consolidating facilities, ending some property leases, removing portable classrooms and reducing each school's discretionary funding by $30,000.

By August, district officials said they had balanced the budget through spending reductions, including cuts to instructional and administrative positions.

"Our teachers and our students are hurting… because now we have to raise class sizes on our kids, and that's ridiculous," Asplen said during his April budget address, according to Action News Jax.

School vouchers add to funding debate

Florida's expanded school voucher program has also become a point of contention in the district's financial challenges.

Approximately 6,000 students in St. Johns County receive state-funded scholarships for private education or homeschooling, according to district figures reported earlier this year.

Asplen told Jacksonville Today in April that many voucher recipients had never attended district public schools. He argued that funding students already enrolled in private education places additional pressure on public school budgets.

Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas challenged Asplen's public comments about the voucher program in April, accusing him of encouraging teachers to complain to lawmakers. Asplen disputed the accusation in a written response.

What larger classes mean for Ponte Vedra families

Florida's Constitution generally limits core academic classes to 18 students in prekindergarten through third grade, 22 in fourth through eighth grade and 25 in ninth through 12th grade.

However, state law allows qualifying high-performing school districts to calculate compliance using schoolwide averages rather than individual classroom counts.

The district told Action News Jax that it is using that flexibility under Florida Statute 1003.631. Even under the schoolwide calculation, Palencia's reported average exceeds the applicable 18-student threshold.

Other Ponte Vedra Beach and Nocatee-area schools, including Valley Ridge Academy, Palm Valley Academy, Ocean Palms Elementary and Ponte Vedra Rawlings Elementary, are affected by the districtwide increases. However, the available reporting does not establish that each campus exceeds its applicable class-size limits.

Parents have expressed concern about the effect on instruction, student safety and teacher workloads.

Sam Reynolds, whose 5-year-old receives services through an individualized education program, told Action News Jax he was "floored by it."

Parent Katherine Crockett also raised concerns about larger kindergarten classes, although she and other parents praised the school's teachers and principal.

The district said additional staff members are not typically assigned after the October enrollment count, known as FTE Survey 2. Larger classes are expected to remain through the school year.

Correspondence between Crockett and district Regional Superintendent Cathy Hutchins indicated that Palencia's kindergarten classes were expected to fall out of compliance with state requirements.

Palencia and other schools found to exceed the applicable limits will be included in a district compliance plan due to the state in February 2027.