Lee County hears request to reappropriate $4.09 million in state school funds for FY2025

Brian Dean, division superintendent for Lee County Public Schools, presented a request during the July 16 meeting for a public hearing and reappropriation of $4,089,855.69 in state funds carried into fiscal 2025.

Dean told the board the carryover includes flexible ‘‘all-in’’ tutoring funds, infrastructure and operations per-pupil funds and state direct aid. He said the carryover would be used to continue planned programming and proposed pay and would allow the division to implement raises and continue summer and school-year tutoring programs. Dean said tutoring paid about $50 per hour over summer sessions; he described some school-year tutoring as before- or after-school offerings and said participation had been limited but beneficial.

Board members asked whether the division had requested matching funds in prior years and how the county’s budget choices affected the schools. Supervisors pressed on questions including the number of tutors and students served this summer and whether the requested additional funding would require a tax-rate increase; staff estimated a full funding match would have required a significant tax-rate increase (discussed as roughly a few cents per $100 of assessed value), but precise tax calculations were left for budget work.

Dean said he planned to use the carryover, in combination with other funding, to preserve planned raises and programming. The board agreed to schedule the public hearing required for reappropriating funds that exceed $500,000.

Public commenters, including Brandy Cohen, emphasized the county’s teacher-pay challenges and urged careful consideration of funding choices. The board did not take final appropriation action at the July 16 meeting; the hearing will allow the board to receive public input before any final vote.