Residents, staff urge board to address teacher, bus driver and school-staff shortages and pay

Multiple members of the public and district employees used the School Board of Lee County’s Sept. 9 action meeting to call attention to teacher and support-staff shortages, low pay and transportation problems that they said are disrupting classrooms and student services.

Speakers said the shortages affect classroom coverage, special-education support and bus service, and they tied staffing pressures to stagnant average teacher pay and difficult working conditions. “That’s down $9,000,” public commenter Robert Daniels said of the district’s average teacher pay compared with 15 years ago, citing district figures for teacher counts and pay trends. Anthony Call, who told the board he drives special‑needs routes, described daily 9½‑hour shifts, crowded routes and a shortage of drivers that he said forces private vans to fill gaps.

The speakers’ concerns came during the public‑comment period, when 15 people were scheduled to address the board. They included classroom teachers, parents, bus drivers and other district employees who described recurring operational problems: an understaffed BSI (behavioral/social‑emotional) school that opened the year without full staff; class loads that increased when additional ESE classes were assigned to a site; and Island Coast High School operating only two lunch periods, which a speaker said left some students with insufficient time or space to eat.

Why it matters: Speakers linked staffing gaps to student safety, instructional quality, and employee morale. Robert Daniels cited district personnel numbers, saying the district had 5,393 teachers in 2010 and 5,182 in the 2025–26 school year according to figures he said came from bargaining representatives. Christina Starritt, who identified herself as a teacher at the district’s only BSI school, said her building started the year short-staffed and had absorbed extra classes that increased workload and stress for veteran teachers asked to mentor new hires.

Board and staff responses: Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin and board members acknowledged the concerns during board remarks, thanking staff for the start‑of‑school work and noting the district is managing a high workload as enrollment and service needs change. Board members said bargaining with teacher unions was ongoing and pledged continued attention to compensation and staffing. No formal policy change or staffing authorization occurred at the meeting; the comments were recorded during the public‑comment section and in later board remarks endorsing continued focus on hiring and bargaining.

Substantive claims and clarifications from the meeting: Robert Daniels said district reports show a decline of 211 teachers over 15 years and cited a district full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) figure he described as 120,876 (he characterized that as the weighted FTE used for state reporting). Anthony Call described current route counts and absences from drivers and said he regularly works extended routes; he asked the district to recruit and pay more drivers. Christina Starritt said her building remains not fully staffed “as of yesterday” and had taken on at least two additional ESE classes.

What was not decided: The board did not vote on new hires, a compensation package, or transportation reassignments at this meeting. Several speakers asked the board to redirect district spending — including public comment that criticized pending or existing lobbyist contracts — but the board took no direct personnel or budgetary votes in response during this session.

Looking ahead: Board members repeatedly said bargaining talks continued and that they were monitoring budget constraints while attempting to retain staff. Several speakers urged the board to reprioritize district dollars toward pay and classroom needs; the board’s public remarks reaffirmed that staffing and compensation are active items for future board and staff work.