Florida's school-age population growth leads the nation, and if the trend continues, schools could be overwhelmed.
By STEPHEN HEGARTY
Published September 18, 2003
[Times photo: Skip O'Rourke]
Students pack the halls between classes this month at Riverview High School in Hillsborough County. Of Florida's 16-million residents, about 2.8-million are children and about 2.9-million are seniors, U.S. Census data show.
Florida still deserves its reputation as a haven for retirees. But now the state also is home to their grandchildren.
Florida led the nation in growth among school-age children from 2000 to 2002. California and Texas have more kids, but Florida's younger population is growing faster.
With the population burst, Florida finds itself in a curious demographic balance: A state with 16-million residents now has about 2.8-million children and about 2.9-million seniors. Children are defined as ages 5 through 17. Seniors are ages 65 and older.
"In this generation, we have surged at both ends," said Jack Levine, president of the advocacy group Voices for Florida's Children. "We still have the reputation as the place where your grandmother goes to live. But we now have a massive population of seniors and a massive population of juniors."
According to U.S. Census estimates being released today, Florida grew by 146,575 kids from 2000 to 2002. That's enough children to fill the Pinellas and Hernando county school systems, with kids to spare.
Though Florida's No. 1 ranking raised some eyebrows, the trend came as little surprise.
"Believe me, we know we're growing," said Sarah Governor, principal at the new Jennings Middle School in Seffner, which opened with about 300 students more than expected. "You like to open a school with a little room to grow. I already have no breathing room. No room for growth."
If the state's youth boom continues as expected, officials say, the effects will be unmistakable.
"This is going to put a strain on our classrooms," said Florida Education Commissioner Jim Horne, who was referring to the impact of the new class-size amendment on the state's schools and budget.
Before and after last year's vote on the amendment, Horne and Gov. Jeb Bush warned Floridians that the class-size caps will cripple the state's budget. More kids, Horne said Wednesday, means an even bigger hit.
But amendment supporters said the youth boom illustrates the need for cutting classes down to size.
"We already have overcrowded classrooms, and we know the voters want to do something about it," said Damien Filer, spokesman for the Coalition to Reduce Class Size. "I don't understand this argument that says we shouldn't do anything about it because it'll be a big problem."
A Bush spokeswoman characterized the census estimates as good news because it means people find the state attractive.
"We lead the nation in job growth," said Alia Faraj, the governor's spokeswoman.
Levine, with Voices for Florida Children, sees the growth figures as a warning.
"Florida now is clearly the place where we show how to get it right or show the nation how to get it wrong," he said. "We have the growth, but right now we don't have the ability to meet the needs."
Florida also saw increases in its senior population. From 2000 to 2002, according to the census, the number of Floridians aged 65 and older grew by 47,229. About 60 percent of them were 85 and older.
Florida's surge in school-age children was the exception among the 50 states. Thirty-five states, many of them in the North and Midwest, saw their youth populations decline.
Though the census estimates do not indicate the source of Florida's growth, the total number of school-age children in the United States increased, indicating that kids are not simply moving from one state to another.
Many children are moving here from other countries, as evidenced by the fact that states with the largest increases, including California and Texas, have historically attracted large numbers of immigrants.
- Staff writers Melanie Ave and Matthew Waite contributed to this report.
