Lee County schools unveil $97.1 million tentative budget; hearings set

Gary Kelly, the district’s executive director of finance and operations, presented a tentative $97,100,000 fiscal plan the board will consider before final adoption in June. "The total budget is $97,100,000. That is a $12,300,000 decrease from last year," Kelly told the board and audience, outlining key drivers of the reduction.

Kelly said the district absorbed several cost pressures in the draft: a $600‑per‑month, per‑employee change in health insurance that he estimated added roughly $350,000 systemwide, and a half‑percentage‑point increase in the teacher retirement rate that raised the board contribution by about $200,000. He also reported a $2.9 million drop in state allotment, part of which he attributed to enrollment losses.

Kelly described capital needs that exceed the tentative budget, including HVAC equipment for the high school and a roof replacement at the middle school with combined cost estimates of about $7.5 million. He said a forthcoming local funding vote — referred to repeatedly in the meeting as the "splice" — could provide an estimated $5.7 million per year if approved by voters.

The superintendent and staff reminded the board that state and local procedures require two public hearings before final adoption; the board set tentative hearing dates for May 26 at 6 p.m. and June 11 at 5 p.m. Kelly described the tentative budget as not requiring a tax increase in its current form, but he warned the capital needs would require additional funding decisions if the local vote does not pass.

The presentation concluded with board members asking clarifying questions about timing of hearings and next steps; Kelly said staff would return with the final proposal after the scheduled hearings. The board’s formal actions at the meeting included motions to enter executive session and to approve routine personnel and consent items (see votes at a glance).