The Seminole County public school district has raised its air conditioning temperature settings in schools to help save money, as the district is reportedly facing a $30 million budget shortfall.
A district spokesperson confirmed to WESH 2 News this week that the AC adjustment is expected to save Seminole County Public Schools about $1.5 million annually.
“Please note, we are experiencing extremely hot temperatures and high humidity and HVAC systems everywhere are working extremely hard,” the district said in a statement to WESH 2. The district did not respond to a request for comment from Orlando Weekly.
The adjustment by the district raises school building temperatures from 71 degrees to 74 degrees during the week, and from 74 to 78 degrees when school buildings are unoccupied. According to assistant superintendent of operations Mark Mullins, the school district currently spends $17 to $19 million annually on electricity costs alone.
Mullins reassured Fox News 35, however, that the district is continuing to prioritize students through the shift.
“Setting the tone of the learning environment is absolutely our number one priority and commitment to our students, our staff and, of course, our families as well.”
The AC settings in Seminole County schools — while a shift for students and staff – notably raises temperatures to a similar threshold already set by Orange County Public Schools, a much larger school district that serves more than three times as many students throughout the greater Orlando area and beyond.
“As has been the case for many years, Orange County Public Schools maintain classroom temperatures within a target range of 74 to 77 degrees,” district spokesperson Michael Ollendorff told Orlando Weekly over email.
Orange County Public Schools has faced criticism in the past over broken and malfunctioning AC systems, however. In 2025, the Orange County Classrooms Teachers Association — a labor union that represents the district’s more than 13,000 educators — advocated for stronger heat protections in school classrooms after malfunctioning AC at a middle school in Ocoee sent several students to the hospital.
The Seminole Education Association, representing teachers and other school staff in Seminole County, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the AC change within their district.
According to Florida Power & Light, the largest power utility in Florida, raising your thermostat just one degree can save you five percent on monthly cooling costs. And with rising temperatures during the summer months, everyone from Florida renters to property owners to government entities in Florida are feeling the financial strain.
Oviedo Community News reported last month that Seminole County Public Schools already cut more than 300 district positions for the 2026-27 school year to help address a $30 million budget shortfall in the school system, including 190 teaching jobs. Student enrollment in the district — hovering at a projected 58,200 students — has declined by nearly 10,000 since 2022, according to county data.
Orange County’s school district saw a decline of nearly 8,000 students this school year, according to daily counts during the first 10 days of the 2026-27 year, as reported by the Orlando Sentinel.
Declining student enrollment has been attributed to declining birth rates, aggressive federal immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, and the rapid expansion of a state voucher program that allows Florida parents to draw taxpayer dollars to pay for their kids’ private schooling or homeschooling – as well as trips to Disney, TVs and paddleboards.
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