The Orange County (Florida) School Board will pay a consultant almost $1,000 for every former public school student it can lure back into the school system.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the district hopes the effort will boost enrollment and provide information on why some parents have opted for private schools or homeschooling.
“This initiative provides a new avenue for OCPS to promote its schools and highlight the strong educational opportunities available to students and families who live in Orange County and are not enrolled in OCPS,” said Superintendent Maria Vazquez.
Orange County expects enrollment to drop by about 3,100 students next year; that would result in a decrease of $27.8 million in state funding. Because schools are funded on a per-pupil basis, declining enrollment means a drop in state money.
The task of recruiting former students back to the district goes to Caissa Public Strategy, a public relations firm.
The district's agreement with Caissa calls for it to receive $935 “for each formerly enrolled OCPS student who re-enrolls in OCPS and attends a district operated school for 30 days.”
The district receives about $8,950 per student from the state, meaning OCPS would net about $8,000 per student recruited back to public schools.
The district has largely blamed its declining enrollment on the state’s expansion of a voucher program that provides funds for private education and homeschooling.
