Lee County schools fills 575 openings, boosting education stability

The Lee County School District reached a significant milestone, with nearly every teacher position filled.

This achievement marks the end of a long-standing struggle to maintain and hire teachers.

The district launched an initiative called "Project Believe" to address the issue. The goal was to fill 575 vacancies in classrooms by collaborating directly with school leadership to ensure a certified teacher was in every classroom.

A chart from the Lee County School District illustrated this journey, showing 575 instructional vacancies in April 2025. Over the past nine months, that number has decreased to zero as of January.

The district's struggle to retain teachers has been a concern for many parents and students. In July, Emily Maldonado, a mother of eight children in Lee County schools, shared her thoughts.

"It's very important for me to know that my child's going to have a teacher," said Maldonado. "They're going to have someone that's going to be there for them and not just disappear mid-year, which has happened also. So I'm really hopeful that they're going to have a teacher."

In 2023, students like Alicia expressed frustration over teachers being assigned to subjects they weren't familiar with.

"My Spanish teacher, she's teaching a math class right now…she has no clue about [it]," said Alicia, a Lee County student. "I'm doing a problem, and I can't figure it out. Then, you're stuck. Now, you have to either take it into your own hands or give up. I mean, there's not much you can do."

Despite filling the 575 vacancies, the district acknowledged that this is a "moving target" as teachers retire or relocate. They are currently looking to fill 27 positions for the remainder of the school year.

The district reported an 85% improvement from the previous year when there were 190 teaching positions to be filled. This progress highlights the district's commitment to providing stable and consistent education for students.