Duval Schools Couldn't Afford New Class Size Limits; Now Face Million Dollar Consequences

About 16 percent of the state's classrooms with too many students are in Duval County.

That's according to the Florida Education Commissioner Eric Smith.

Failure to comply with state class size limits could have million dollar consequences for Duval County schools.

"We were out by approximately 2,100 FTE, fulltime equivalent, students," said Mike Perrone, Chief Financial Officer for Duval County Schools. "That equates to initially about $6.7 million that they will hold back."

Avoiding the penalty would have also come with a steep price tag; Perrone estimated it would have cost the school district $12 million.

The $6.7 million deduction can be reduced, according to Perrone, as long as the superintendent certifies a letter to the education commissioner by February of 2011, detailing how the district will meet class size regulations next October.

Perrone believes once that is approved, the penalty will be reduced to $1.7 million.