Efforts to \u201cright size\u201d the School District of Lee County has impacted schools with parents bringing concerns to the school board.<\/p>\n
Much of public input at the board\u2019s Tuesday meeting revolved around the \u201cright sizing\u201d initiative of Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin and her approach to individual school budgets in the face of a $47.7 million funding deficit looming for the 2026-27 school year.<\/p>\n
Students, parents, and community members shared their dissatisfaction.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt my school, 33% of teachers were not renewed,\u201d Sandy Clark said. \u201cThe district is losing hundreds of teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said if the district administration is touting fiscal responsibility \u2014 stating they are not cutting the arts, but are cutting waste \u2013 they are also losing highly effective teachers.<\/p>\n
Gage Griffin spoke during public comment to represent his wife, a teacher who was let go.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s because of her we could afford to buy our first home, I could go back to school. Because of you she no longer has a job,\u201d he said through tears. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to believe you can say \u2018fiscal responsibility\u2019 \u2014 the reason to cut waste. What is being cut is my wife\u2019s job, my family\u2019s home. It\u2019s shameful to say she is \u2018waste.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Another speaker said teachers are the foundation of the community and at the end of the day, the district cannot cut their way to an A-rated school district.<\/p>\n
Teacher Association of Lee County President Kevin Daly said it is very important that the board hears from staff members as then, maybe, they will believe what is happening.<\/p>\n
\u201cI stand with teachers and parents, and students that have come to tell you what you are doing is wrong with cuts and rightsizing. Give students and teachers what they need,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
In Lee County, voters approved converting the superintendent of schools from an appointive post to an elected office in 2022. The superintendent is responsible for the district\u2019s day-to-day operations and administration. School board members, elected by district with two members elected countywide, set district policy and approve the district budget.<\/p>\n
Carlin, who has 32 years of experience in the district, was elected in 2024, the first elected superintendent since the election of \u201922 and the first elected superintendent in Lee County in five decades.<\/p>\n
Carlin said as a superintendent, one of her legal responsibilities is to have a balanced budget every single year.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a moral obligation to taxpayers, students, and employees that tax dollars are used responsibly,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
School budgets were rebuilt based on enrollment and needs of the students today, Carlin said, adding she appreciates and applauds principal professionalism and leadership in that effort.<\/p>\n
\u201cBudgetary impacts are not an easy decision. Leadership is not easy,\u201d she said, but it is the responsible and correct decision. \u201cStriking the balance comes at human costs. Reductions involve real people, real people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlin said she has empathy of what people are going through, as she, too, experienced losing her job early on in her career.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery decision made is rooted in the best long-term interest in our students and future financial stability for our school district,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
At the workshop earlier that day, Deputy Superintendent Dr. Ken Savage gave a presentation about right size and efficiency initiatives in the district.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is really important on the heels of the budget issues we have been talking about. It\u2019s not a new thing. It has been a hallmark of her leadership \u2014 fiscal responsibility,\u201d he said of Carlin.<\/p>\n
Before Carlin took office, Savage said there was a $3 million reinvestment from academic transformation, followed by Carlin\u2019s 5% reduction in the central office in March 2025 that resulted in a $15.9 million reinvestment. From there, he said there was a $1 million reinvestment from the district\u2019s office leadership reorganization in April 2025.<\/p>\n
In May of this year, there has been a $6.5 million district office reinvestment and $35 million school-budget rightsizing for fiscal year 2027.<\/p>\n
The $35 million is above allocation to schools that were rightsized, Savage said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s not $35 million of cuts \u2014 it\u2019s every dollar beyond what a school actually earned based on weighted FTE amounts to $35 million,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen schools went through budget realignment and made tier bridge fund requests, we funded about 90% of bridge fund requests, roughly $5 million. About $30 million of rightsizing that occurred.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carlin said there are always things they can do better. She said she will continue to look at every taxpayer\u2019s dollar to make sure it is being used in the correct way to work towards bringing a balanced budget.\u00a0<\/p>\n