Dozens of speakers urge Lee County board to reverse teacher cuts and protect Buckingham Exceptional Student Center

Dozens of parents, teachers and students told the Lee County School Board on May 12 that budget “right‑sizing” decisions are harming classrooms and vulnerable students.

The board heard 36 public commenters in a 60‑minute public comment block. Daniel Becker opened, saying the superintendent and “6 of the 7 Lee County board members identify as Republicans” and accusing the district of following an agenda that disadvantages public schools. “One of the key Republican positions is to not support public schools,” Becker said, arguing that the district’s priorities risk student outcomes.

Teachers and students provided repeated, detailed examples. Charla Fox, a 25‑year classroom teacher, said morale is “fragile” and warned that forcing principals to cut 10 to 20 teachers will eliminate music programs, specialized electives and experienced mentorship. “Calling these non renewals instead of cuts is a somatic game that our students are losing,” she said.

Multiple speakers described the impact on special education. Sergio Cruz, speaking for families of Buckingham Exceptional Student Center, said the school is “more than a school building,” calling it a “lifeline” for medically fragile students and asking the district to guarantee Buckingham will remain at its current location for at least the next school year. Christie Steinkamp, whose daughter is medically fragile, said Buckingham’s adapted equipment, air‑conditioned hallways and drop‑off areas meet unique needs that cannot be replicated elsewhere.

Students and families mounted a broader case that program reductions—including cuts to theater, art and ESE staff—remove essential supports. A Gateway High School student said a petition opposing cuts to her school’s theater program gathered nearly 600 signatures in five days. Sandy Clark, a district teacher, said some schools are losing one‑third of staff and warned that class sizes could rise “to 40 to 50 students,” a change she said contradicts the law’s class‑size limits.

Several commenters questioned budget choices and transparency. Michael Borbina, a teacher and building representative, asked where the district’s millage revenue for buildings has gone and urged the board to consider a teacher‑focused millage. Denise Nystrom alleged potential conflicts connected to shared campaign managers and suggested that district spending on a new high school and infrastructure was prioritized over employee retention.

Superintendent Dr. Carlin and the board did not respond during public comment (board policy limits responses at this point), but later in the meeting Dr. Carlin described the district’s duty to present a balanced budget and said principals had been rebuilding school budgets based on current enrollment and needs. She acknowledged the difficulty of the process, expressed empathy for employees facing nonrenewal notices and defended targeted proposals—including incentives aimed at retaining teachers in high‑need schools.

The public comment period set the tone for a meeting in which board members split on several consent and staffing items, with repeated references back to the concerns voiced by teachers, families and students. The board moved on to votes that evening—approving an interlocal to assist Fort Myers Beach, renewing a marketing services authorization, adopting job‑description changes and hiring a chief staff attorney—items that drew pushback from members who said the timing and optics were poor during ongoing cuts.

The board recessed after public comment and later returned to votes and hearings; the meeting adjourned at 9:47 p.m.