Menu

Lee School District special meeting, Sep 8, 2026

53 min

Budget cuts and layoffs ▶ 33:11Enrollment ▶ 49:04Vouchers and school choice ▶ 47:21

This board doesn’t post agenda times. Click a board member to jump to where they first speak; we list only members whose voice our check named. Video length 53 min.

  1. Who spoke · first speaks at
What happened

What happened at this meeting

Lee County School Board approves $3,055,366,436 final budget on 6⁠-⁠1 vote 52:26

  • A district staff member presented a proposed total millage rate of 5.271 mills, which the staff member said was a 1.97% decrease from the rollback rate of 5.3769 mills. 8:15
  • The board approved the superintendent's recommendation to adopt a total final budget of $3,055,366,436 by a 6⁠-⁠1 vote after one board member said they could not vote on the budget. 52:26

Until Nov 4, lines where a board member takes a side don't name the member. Why →

Item by item (10)
  1. Opening and agenda adoption 4:40
    • Armor Persons called the meeting to order at 5:05 PM and said its purpose was a public hearing on the 2026⁠-⁠2027 final millage rates and final budget. 5:13
    • The agenda was adopted 7⁠-⁠0. 6:51
  2. Millage rates and final budget presentation 7:08
    • A district staff member said the calculated rollback rate was 5.3769 mills and the proposed rate of 5.271 mills would generate $5.7 million more than the previous year because of the increase in the tax roll. 8:15
    • A district staff member said the unaudited fiscal year '26 operating deficit was $44.6 million, which affected the fund balance carried into fiscal year '27. 11:42
    • A district staff member said the final budget included a total of $58.8 million in general fund reserves. 19:25
  3. Superintendent's recommendations presented 29:04
    • The superintendent presented five recommendations covering the three millage levies, the millage resolutions and a total final budget of $3,055,366,436. 29:19
  4. Public hearing on millage and budget 32:02
    • A speaker at public comment said the budget eliminates 756 positions and cited fewer teachers, paraprofessionals, counselors and social workers. 33:11
    • A speaker at public comment said the district should have fewer administrators and more teachers. 36:14
    • A speaker at public comment said central office salaries went from $23.4 million to $25.3 million and asked how the board would put money back in classrooms. 37:27
  5. Required local effort millage 41:00
    • The superintendent recommended a required local effort millage of 3.023 mills. 41:00
    • The motion passed 7⁠-⁠0. 42:13
  6. Basic discretionary millage 42:21
    • The superintendent recommended a basic discretionary millage of 0.748 mills with a proposed amount to be raised of $123 million $360,291. 42:21
    • The motion passed 7⁠-⁠0. 43:20
  7. Capital outlay millage 43:24
    • The superintendent recommended a capital outlay millage of 1.5 with a proposed amount to be raised of $247,380,262, for a total millage of 5.271 mills. 43:24
    • The motion passed 7⁠-⁠0. 44:38
  8. Millage resolutions 44:43
    • The superintendent recommended adopting the resolution determining revenues and millages levied and the resolution adopting the final millage rates for fiscal year 2026⁠-⁠2027. 44:43
    • The motion passed 7⁠-⁠0. 45:37
  9. Final budget adoption 45:43
    • One board member said the central support service budget share had grown while direct instructional expenditures had gone down, and said they could not vote on this budget. 47:54
    • Samuel Fisher asked about the budget difference between elementary schools and middle and high schools, and a district staff member said the allocation methodology had changed for all schools. 49:04
    • Samuel Fisher said the district had added 205 positions, including 132 teaching positions, tied to one-time ESSER funding. 50:28
    • The motion carried 6⁠-⁠1. 52:26
  10. Other business and adjournment 52:09
    • Armor Persons adjourned the meeting at 5:53 PM. 52:59

Written by software from the meeting's transcript and checked sentence by sentence against it.

Other meetings

Other meetings of this board

Video: posted by the district as “School Board Special Meeting (FY 2026-2027 Final Budget): September 8, 2026”