County school board passes $2 billion-plus budget
The Lee County School Board approved a budget of more than $2 billion during its second and final hearing on Sept. 6.
The budget is $2,777,112,369, which consists of 44% for the General Fund of $1,211,785,645; 38% for the capital fund of $1,048,945,125; 7% for internal services at $203,044,629; special revenue — grants at 5% for $141,046,698, which will increase as grants are received; debt services at 3% for $99,112,911; and special revenue — food services at 3% for $73,177,361.
The General Fund is used for the education of students and operating expenses of the district; debt services is the payment of debt; capital funds are used to build schools, buy equipment and provide maintenance services; food service is to support breakfast and lunch for all students; special revenue is federal funds that must be used for specific purpose of the grant; and internal service is for insurance costs of the district.
The focus of the General Fund is resources for the classroom, reading initiatives at the elementary school level, continuing additional 30 minutes at select elementary and middle schools. The General Fund also focuses on the whole child for mental wellness and English learners, students in need of additional interventions and supports as well as recapturing student loss. The fund also focuses on employment retention.
The capital fund’s source of revenue is from local property tax and half-penny sales tax. The major focus in the five-year capital plan is safety and security upgrades, maintenance and renovations of existing buildings, technology and new schools. The district’s five-year capital plan tentatively includes four new elementary schools, three new middle schools, three new high schools, one pre-kindergarten to eighth grade school, one technical center, one pre-kindergarten center, two additions, three rebuilds and five remodels.
“We have numerous new schools that within the five years will be completed or started in the five-year window. Those schools reflected the growth that our Planning Department has worked to develop in terms of the seats that we need to accommodate the growth that we have seen and projected to see inside of the district,” Chief Financial Officer Dr. Ami Desamours said.
The Florida Education Finance Program is $932 million in total FEFP revenue with an approximate $42 million anticipated for the Family Empowerment Scholarships. Director Kelly Letcher said that is a $77 million increase from the previous year and a $7.5 million increase for the Teacher Salary Increase Allocation.
Letcher said the district is getting $8,933 per FTE and a base student allocation of $5,139,73, which is a $552.23 increase.
Robert Daniels, a teacher in the district, talked about the salary schedule as of Aug. 2 of this year for every employee of the district during public comment. He said when he took it down to classroom teachers, it was $266 million in salaries and instructional and support staff was $426 million and administrative salaries came out to $400 million for 418 of them.
“When I look at the budget with revenues listed and itemized for instruction, there is money there even at the bargain with request made specifically of where is this money going answers could not be provided directly,” Daniels said.
He said the math when keeping the $266 million in mind is more than double the amount that is just out there in the wind.
“There is enough money to double the teachers salaries by what I am looking at is just not accounted for,” Daniels said.
He also said it is stated in the budget that the district revenues went up by 15%, but expenses went up by only 3.1%. Daniels said the raises for teachers last year amounted to just about half a percent.
“Can we make those numbers square for myself and the other thousands of teachers that are batting in about $55,000 a year before taxes?” he asked.
Daniels went on to say that he had them funded at $8,300 per student with the $8,900 a new number.
“At those numbers the first seven students in each classroom pays for the teacher complete with benefits. Where is the money for the other 23 students going as most of us are looking at 30 students in the classroom?” he asked.
The school board said it is doing everything it can to put more money in the teachers’ pockets.
Board Member Sam Fisher said they are in the middle of bargaining, so they are not allowed to discuss much detail.
“I do know that our administration, including (Superintendent) Dr. (Christopher) Bernier is aware that we need to do a better job of paying teachers. We are solid on that and I want to make sure the public knows that,” he said.
Board Member Chris Patricca said they are all committed to having a discussion about how to increase revenue to pay teachers more, all staff, including bus drivers, para professionals and food service workers.
“There is no money floating anywhere. We are, as a leadership team, I think more committed as ever to make sure we are finding every dollar to put into staff’s pockets,” she said. “We, as a team, are more committed than we have ever been in making sure teachers are getting everything we can give to you.”
Board Member Jada Langford-Fleming said as a former teacher who dedicated 20 years of her life to teaching, she understands the hours put in and the seven extend far beyond 3:30 in the afternoon.
“I do believe this board is working as hard as we can to make sure that you on the 15th and 30th look down and see that you are valued and what you do matters and that you are impacting lives,” she said.
MILLAGE
The calculated rollback rate is 4.8844 mills with an approved rate of 5.430 mills, a 11.17% increase over the roll back rate.
Letcher said the millage rollback rate is the millage when applied to the current tax roll net for adjustments of new growth would produce the same dollars as received in the previous years.
Letcher said the new tax roll is at $145 billion, adding as the tax roll goes up, the millage rate decreases.
“This year’s tax roll represents a 8.34% increase over the 2022-2023 tax roll,” Letcher said.
One mill is equal to $1 for every $1,000 of taxable property valuation.
The approved required local effort of 3.164 mills includes a prior period adjustment of 0.018 for a total required effort of 3.182, which is a 0.127 difference from the prior year.
The discretionary millage is 0.748 mills and the capital millage is 1.500 mills for a total of 5.430.
The amount to be raised for the required local effort is $443,197,701; $104,183,495 for the basic discretionary and $208,924,120 for capital outlay, for a total of $756,305,316.
For an average property owner, if they have a $100,000 home last year they would have paid $555.70 on that home. Letcher said their new value would have gone up to $108,340 and they would now be paying $588.29, a $32.59 increase.
If the homeowner has a Homestead Exemption and Save Our Homes, the rate would have gone up to $103,000, paying $416.78. This year that property owner would pay $423.54, a $6.76 increase.
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