Lee County parents pack school board meeting over budget cut concerns

FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK)—The Lee County School Board meeting reached maximum capacity as parents and teachers packed the room to voice concerns about budget cuts, programs and teacher incentives.

More than 30 people spoke during public comment, with over half addressing alleged cuts to art, athletic and ESE programs. The district says those programs are not being cut.

A letter sent home to Edison Park families on Friday addressed confusion about the school's budget. The letter from Edison Park's principal stated "the initial message shared with families did not accurately reflect the full picture of our schools budget."

The principal explained the school was able to better prioritize the budget and allocate money toward the art program. WINK News reported last week that students were worried their arts program would be eliminated.

The district confirmed it is not renewing some teacher contracts. Lee County School District employees work on annual contracts, and those not being renewed are at schools receiving more funding but experiencing lower enrollment.

The district calls this process "right sizing" to meet enrollment numbers. One teacher allegedly impacted by the decision spoke during public comment.

The district declined to release the number of teachers whose contracts will not be renewed. The school board also approved a teacher incentive during the meeting.