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Teachers and parents press board on staff pay and vacancies; board highlights cross-government talks
Summary
Public commenters urged the board to raise pay for classified staff and address teacher vacancies; a parent presented county pay comparisons and vacancy trends. Board members described plans to coordinate with county commissioners on budgeting and recruitment.
Multiple public commenters used the meeting’s public-comment period to raise workforce concerns, telling the Lee County Board of Education that classified-staff wages and teacher supplements affect student support and staff retention.
Joanie DeCiancia introduced herself as a high school science teacher at Southern Lee High School and said the district’s classified staff "currently do not receive a living wage in Lee County," asking the board to "approve additional more continued funding for that staff." She framed classified employees as essential to students’ daily safety and attendance.
A parent, Mike Sawaya, presented a county-by-county comparison of supplements and vacancy trends as he described them. He told the board that Lee County’s supplement range was "$3,900 to $6,100" while neighboring counties reported higher supplements, and he said Lee County’s vacancies grew from 28 to 31 in recent months while Wake and Chatham counties reduced vacancy counts. "I'm here to advocate for something, whatever it is that you need to do to close that gap," Sawaya said.
The board chair reminded attendees of the district policy limiting public comments that name or attack employees or discuss confidential student matters; the warning followed a public speaker who discussed a specific student record. The board chair thanked commenters and said the board values community engagement.
Board members spoke about the "5-to-5" coordination model—small delegations of commissioners and school-board members meeting regularly with finance staff and executives—to improve joint planning on capital and staffing priorities. The chair described intent to hold recurring meetings with Lee County commissioners and the county manager to discuss bus garage planning, recruitment and budget presentation strategies.
The board indicated upcoming budget work sessions and public hearings to allow discussion of funding priorities and noted committee-level work to examine recruitment and compensation as part of the FY2025 budget process.
