‘It’s her dream job’: Villas Elementary teacher cut amid Lee County school district budget crisis

FORT MYERS, Fla. —

A teacher at Villas Elementary School lost her position during Teacher Appreciation Week as the School District of Lee County faces $47 million in budget cuts due to declining enrollment.

Gage Griffin, the teacher's husband, said the position was more than a paycheck.

"It's her dream job. It's what she's always wanted to do," Griffin said.

Griffin said his wife worked for the district for seven years and never imagined losing her spot in the classroom.

"She found out with four other members of her team, they weren't gonna have a job. There's only five of them there," Griffin said. "Only one of them is still going to be in the first-grade classroom. So, you're taking kids that are already in a bad spot and making it harder for their teachers to teach them."

Griffin joined dozens of teachers, students, and parents at the school board meeting to voice concerns and seek answers.

The School District of Lee County plans to cut nearly $47 million from its budget due to the loss of about 800 students. Superintendent Denise Carlin has also said the district has been over-funded for years, prompting the move toward fiscal responsibility.

School board member Debbie Jordan said she still does not know exactly how many people will be affected.

"It's not just our teachers. It's our, you know, the custodians. It's our AV techs," Jordan said. "The unknown, I think that's really concerning. And I personally believe as a school board member, I need to know those answers."

Superintendent Denise Carlin addressed the issue during a workshop meeting, saying the cuts are necessary.

"Having been a teacher who did lose her job very early on when I was first in the school district, it's not a great feeling," Carlin said. "This is not a new phenomena for the School District of Lee County. We have been on the lucky end of this for many, many years where we have been growing rapidly because our neighbors across the alley and up north have been doing this for years."

Griffin expressed frustration with the situation.

"There needs to be more heart put into it," Griffin said. "I know the superintendent said her heart goes out to us, but it's hard for us to find that heart because it's not in these budget cuts."

The school district plans to share on Friday how many teachers and staff were cut. Griffin said his wife has found another job at a private school, but her true passion remains in public education.

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