Florida operates 67 public school districts, one for each county, under a rule written into the state constitution. Every county is a single district that covers all public pre-K through grade 12 education inside its borders. There are no independent city school systems, no overlapping jurisdictions, and no unincorporated gaps. Each district is run by an elected school board, funded through a mix of state and local dollars, and held to statewide academic standards set by the Florida Department of Education.
One County, One District
Article IX, Section 4 of the Florida Constitution states that “each county shall constitute a school district.”1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution That single sentence produces the 67-district system. Whether a county enrolls close to 400,000 students, as Miami-Dade does, or fewer than 1,000, as Liberty County does, the local district covers the entire county and nothing outside it.
The constitution allows two or more contiguous counties to combine into a single district if voters in each county approve.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution No counties have ever done it. Florida has operated with 67 districts since the state reached 67 counties in 1925.
Who Runs a District
Each district is governed by a school board of five or more members, elected in nonpartisan races to staggered four-year terms.1Florida Senate. The Florida Constitution The board operates, controls, and supervises every public school in the county. It adopts the annual budget, sets the school program, establishes schools, approves enrollment plans, and fixes the local school tax levy each year within limits set by state law.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1001.42 – Powers and Duties of District School Board
The superintendent runs day-to-day operations, supervises staff, recommends programs, and advises the board without a vote.3Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 1001.51 – Duties and Responsibilities of District School Superintendent Roughly two-thirds of Florida districts elect the superintendent. The rest have the school board appoint the position.
Any district can switch methods by referendum. The board passes a resolution putting the question on a general, primary, or special election ballot, and if a majority of voters approve, future superintendents are board-appointed. After four years, the district can vote to switch back.4Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 1001.461 – District School Superintendent Procedures for Making Office Appointive
The difference matters. An elected superintendent answers to voters and serves a fixed term, which limits how much direct control the board has. The governor can suspend an elected superintendent for cause, including approving spending beyond the budget.5Florida Senate. Florida Statutes 1011.10 An appointed superintendent works under a contract with the board and can be replaced when that contract ends or, depending on the terms, sooner.
Which School Your Child Attends
Your county determines your district. The specific school your child attends depends on attendance zones the school board draws inside the district. Boards adjust those boundaries periodically for new housing, shifting enrollment, or new school construction.2The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1001.42 – Powers and Duties of District School Board Most districts publish a school locator tool where you enter your address and see the zoned schools.
Zones are not the last word. Florida law requires every district to offer controlled open enrollment, so parents can request a school other than the one they are zoned for, as long as the school has capacity. Transfers can even cross district lines. A family in Seminole County can apply to an Orange County school if seats are open. In-district residents cannot be displaced by out-of-district transfers, and each district must update its school-by-school capacity figures every 12 weeks and post them online. Districts must also keep waitlists and notify parents when space opens up.6The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1002.31 – Controlled Open Enrollment Public School Parental Choice
Charter Schools and Lab Schools
Charter schools are public schools that operate under a contract with the local district. The school board serves as sponsor: it reviews applications, approves or denies new charters, and monitors each school against the goals in its contract. A board can only sponsor charter schools inside its own county.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1002.33 – Charter Schools
The relationship is deliberately arm’s-length. The sponsor cannot impose its own policies on a charter school without agreement, and it cannot set administrative deadlines earlier than those it uses for its own district-run schools. Charter schools receive state funding through the same formula as traditional public schools, and the district withholds an administrative fee of up to 5 percent for oversight. A denied applicant can appeal to the State Board of Education.7The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1002.33 – Charter Schools
Florida also authorizes developmental research schools, commonly called lab schools, affiliated with a state university’s college of education. Their mission is research, demonstration, and evaluation of teaching practices. The university acts as fiscal agent, many of the statutes that govern regular school boards are held in abeyance for lab schools, and they sit outside the county school board’s direct control while still drawing state funding based on the county where they are located.8The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1002.32 – Developmental Research Lab Schools
How Districts Are Funded
The Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) is the main funding mechanism for all 67 districts. It combines state revenue, mostly from sales taxes, with local revenue from property taxes, and distributes money based on each district’s student enrollment, the programs those students are in, and local cost differences. The formula multiplies a base student allocation by each student’s program cost factor, then adjusts for the district’s comparable wage factor (a cost-of-living measure tied to the Florida Price Level Index) and a small district factor for less-populated counties.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1011.62 – Funds for Operation of Schools
For fiscal year 2025–2026, total FEFP funding was approximately $23.2 billion, and total public school funding from all sources reached about $29.5 billion.10Florida Senate. 2025-2026 Florida Education Finance Program Conference Report
Local school property taxes come in layers. The legislature sets a required local effort millage every district must levy. Districts can also set a discretionary millage within state caps. Beyond that, a board can ask voters to approve additional millage by referendum, often earmarked for specific purposes like teacher pay supplements or school security. Boards adopt the tax levy, but every layer sits inside guardrails the legislature defines.9The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1011.62 – Funds for Operation of Schools
State Oversight and School Grades
The State Board of Education is the chief supervising body for public education under Article IX, Section 2 of the Florida Constitution.11Florida Laws. Florida Constitution Article IX Section 2 – State Board of Education The board sets statewide policy, and the Florida Department of Education handles day-to-day oversight, including the accountability system that grades every public school.
Each school receives an annual letter grade from A to F. An A means the school is making excellent progress; an F means it is failing to make adequate progress.12The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1008.34 – School Grading System School Report Cards District Grade The grade is calculated from several components, each worth 100 points:
- Achievement, measured by the percentage of students passing statewide assessments in English Language Arts, math, science, and social studies.
- Learning gains, measured by year-over-year growth in ELA and math, with separate tracking for students in the lowest-performing 25 percent.
- Graduation rate for high schools, based on the four-year cohort.
- College and career readiness for high schools, including industry certifications earned, dual enrollment credits, and Advanced Placement exam performance.
Repeated low grades trigger state intervention, while high-performing schools gain additional flexibility.12The Florida Legislature. Florida Statutes 1008.34 – School Grading System School Report Cards District Grade The grade is how the state communicates school quality to families and how it holds districts accountable for instructional results, not just budgets and staffing.