As Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) enters budget season, two influential appointees—Stephen Johnson and Chris Norwood —are helping guide the district’s allocation of its $7.4 billion budget. Appointed by School Board Members Dr. Steve Gallon III (District 1) and Dr. Dorothy Bendross-Mindingall (District 2), Johnson and Norwood are pushing for spending decisions that prioritize fiscal responsibility, equity, and community impact.
Johnson, vice chair of the Audit and Budget Advisory Committee (ABAC), plays a key role in reviewing and advising on a wide range of matters, including audits and allocations.
“We provide input to the superintendent and the school board on issues like the annual budget, audit plans, and financial oversight,” Johnson explained. “It’s about offering citizen input into district finances for the betterment of the community.”
Comprised of 13 members with backgrounds in finance, law, and auditing, ABAC serves as an independent watchdog for the district’s finances. Norwood, the committee’s chairman and its longest-serving member since 2012, values the group’s independence and transparency.
“The Audit and Budget Advisory Committee is our community’s best-kept secret,” he noted. “Our auditor doesn’t report to the executive; he reports to us—volunteers with real-world accountability backgrounds.”
Together, Johnson and Norwood help ensure the district allocates resources effectively across a system that educates more than 330,000 students and employs over 40,000 staff. Their oversight includes external audits, internal compliance reviews, and financial forecasting.
“Because of our public-facing function, you don’t often hear controversy around local school finance. That’s rare,” Norwood observed.
Still, challenges remain—especially regarding equity. Johnson stresses the importance of advocacy to ensure schools serving Black and historically underserved communities receive the funding they deserve.
“No one is deliberately shutting out our schools, but people have overlooked them before,” Johnson emphasized.
Norwood echoes that concern, pointing to a recent ABAC audit that uncovered unequal access to driver’s education programs. The school board responded swiftly—proof, he said, that strong oversight can drive meaningful reform.
A more urgent and costly issue, Norwood adds, involves outdated educational impact fees—charges intended to fund new school infrastructure. The district hasn’t updated those fees in nearly 30 years despite construction costs having soared.
“We’re still using 1995 figures to calculate fees while construction costs have skyrocketed,” Norwood said. “We’ve lost tens to hundreds of millions of dollars.” He credits School Board Member Dr. Steve Gallon for leading the charge to modernize the outdated formula, which requires government approval.
Even with state and federal funding constraints, both leaders emphasized the importance of public participation. ABAC meetings are open to the public, and Johnson encourages community members to participate in the process during this critical time.
According to Johnson, “A choir sings louder than a soloist.”
Norwood agrees and adds a closing reflection on the committee’s quiet but powerful influence.
“We’re not out here making headlines—but line by line, we’re shaping the future of public education.”
