Parents, teachers and bus drivers tell Lee County board classroom safety, staffing and pay need urgent fixes

Parents, teachers and other district employees told the Lee County School Board on March 4 that classroom safety problems, insufficient special‑education placements and staffing shortfalls are harming students and driving staff turnover.

"No child, no teacher, and no parent should have to worry about violence in the classroom," Britney Campagnoni, a parent of a second‑grade student at Edmancier Elementary, said during public comment. She described a student who allegedly threw and flipped chairs, struck classmates, and spat on her daughter; she said she filed a police report after an incident.

Special‑education teacher Erica Davis said inclusion policies have been applied in ways that, in her view, leave teachers and students exposed to recurring dangerous behavior. "Inclusion cannot come at the cost of safety," Davis said, and she urged the board to allow changes of placement, one‑to‑one supervision or appropriate behavioral program placements when necessary.

Longer‑term staffing and pay problems also were raised. Robert Daniels, a district teacher of more than 10 years, cited federal Education Department statistics and district financial reports and said administrative positions nationally grew far faster than teaching positions over recent decades; he estimated about $40 million could be redirected to teacher pay in the district. Bus driver Anthony Call described daily safety and staffing pressures on transportation staff, saying parents sometimes block bus doors and that drivers face frequent confrontations while trying to run routes.

Several public commenters tied the policy and contracting items on the board agenda to their calls for more direct spending on teachers, bus drivers and classroom supports. India Palencia, a parent speaker, criticized the use of outside lobbying contracts and said she would prefer those funds be used for compensation and classroom needs.

Board members and the superintendent acknowledged the comments and said staff take public feedback seriously. Superintendent Carlin later told the board the district will continue to prioritize safety, student achievement and fiscal realignment and said departments were asked to produce an initial 5% reduction in district office spending to reallocate funds to priorities.

Speakers requested specific district actions: more robust threat response, clearer pathways to change placements for students whose behavior endangers others, faster access to alternative placements or one‑on‑one supports, and better pay or recruitment incentives for bus drivers and classroom teachers.

No formal board action on individual student placements was taken during public comment; the board recorded the comments for follow up and said staff may reach out to commenters to provide additional information.

The public comment period included 14 speakers and lasted the portion of the meeting reserved for public comment; several speakers asked for documented follow‑up and for the board to reexamine spending priorities cited on the agenda.