St. Johns County Schools Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen is in a very public crossfire with Florida’s top education official just as his district starts cutting jobs and bracing for a major budget hole. At the center of the fight: accusations that Asplen urged teachers to target lawmakers over Florida’s growing voucher program, and his counterclaim that voucher funding is quietly bleeding public schools even as enrollment climbs.
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas took the dispute public with a sharply worded letter posted on X. He said teachers reported that during a meeting at Osceola Elementary, Asplen urged staff to send complaints to legislators and to “vote those lawmakers out.” Kamoutsas blasted that alleged message as inappropriate political pressure on school grounds and warned it could prompt further action if verified, according to News4JAX.
Asplen pushes back
Asplen fired back in a written response dated April 25. He flatly denied telling employees to “vote any legislators in or out of office,” saying he only encouraged staff to contact lawmakers with questions or concerns. He also told the commissioner that, based on information he said came from the state Department of Education and Step Up, roughly $250 million in voucher-related taxpayer dollars appear to be unaccounted for, a gap he argues helps explain the district’s budget strain, as reported by St. Johns Citizen.
Commissioner pushes back
Kamoutsas was not persuaded. He pointed out that St. Johns County has seen rising enrollment and higher per-pupil funding, arguing that local budgeting choices, not vouchers, are driving the crunch. In his post on X, he wrote that “Florida families deserve leaders who can make tough decisions without casting blame” and described Asplen’s remarks as divisive. He also said his office has not opened a formal professional-practices case because complainants have declined to sign statements, according to News4JAX.
Budget squeeze and staffing cuts
While the political back-and-forth plays out, the financial math is hitting district staff in real time. The St. Johns County School District’s 2025-27 budget presentation warns of a shortfall that could reach $23 million and outlines cost-cutting steps that include trimming district department budgets, removing relocatable classrooms, and consolidating programs. Those plans also describe earlier reductions and contingency measures if savings do not cover the projected gap, according to the St. Johns County School District.
Local reporting says the district has already eliminated 22 central-office jobs along with roughly 130 instructional and support positions as part of the cuts, with more than 150 roles affected in all, as reported by St. Johns Citizen.
Staff and school board reaction
School Board Chair Jennifer Collins has publicly backed Asplen’s tone, telling local media she has heard him speak in “factual terms, not political terms,” a defense noted by Action News Jax. At the same time, Kamoutsas’ office says teachers who contacted state officials in Tallahassee have declined to sign statements out of fear of retaliation, which has kept a formal investigation from moving forward, according to Jacksonville Today.
The result is a standoff that has staff and parents watching upcoming school board meetings closely while the district works through human-resources processes for employees whose positions are being cut.
What happens next
District leaders say they plan to bring reimagining and consolidation proposals to the school board and have asked Human Resources to prepare preference sheets for employees who might be affected by changes. Board meeting notices and district updates are posted on the St. Johns County School District website, where administrators have laid out timelines and next steps for community input. For official schedules and documents, residents can check the district’s online meeting notices at the St. Johns County School District.
