Lee County community protests $47 million school budget cuts

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

Parents, students, teachers, and community members protested $47 million in budget cuts by the School District of Lee County, with demonstrators citing concerns surrounding staff, resources, and arts programs.

Anne Shefferly, a parent and substitute teacher, held her sign, saying, “This is an angry taxpayer, an angry parent, an angry substitute teacher.”

Shefferly joined others Wednesday evening outside the district headquarters on Colonial Boulevard, using her voice, signs, and music to amplify their concerns. Her son, Daniel Shefferly, played the violin during the protest.

Daniel, a student within the district, shared his thoughts on efforts to defend the arts programs. “I really want to keep playing my violin at school. I think other people should have the opportunity. If they shut down the arts to Edison, other people won’t have the opportunity for sure,” he said.

Former school board member Gwynetta Gittens held a sign that read, “Where did the money go?” She said, “This is very near and dear to me. When I sat on the school board for four years, constantly, myself and some of the other board members were asking for transparency. We were asking [them to] show us a line-item budget, show us where each dollar is going.”

The district says it needs to cut $47 million, with some schools facing larger reductions than others.

Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin explained the funding challenges, saying, “The way Florida funds our schools is based on how many students show up in the building. For quite a period of time, we’ve had schools that have been overfunded to the tune of $35 million. We cannot afford to fund our schools over and above what they earn. If I have 500 students in my building, I earn X amount of dollars. That’s what our schools are going to be funded at.”

Dr. Carlin further explained, “I have made cuts already. When I first came on board, I made a 5% cut. We right-sized our district. Right now, at the central office, the budget that our office received is minus $6.5 million. We have made reductions at the central office."

The district is awaiting the state legislature’s approval of a budget before making final decisions on the cuts.

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