Natacha Casal
•9/2/2026
The School District of Lee County has proposed a $3.05 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year, reflecting a slight increase from last year’s $2.9 billion budget. Superintendent Denise Carlin, Ph.D., explained the scope of the budget, saying, "Yeah. So always remember that our budget includes all, the budget for all of our public school students. Which includes charters. That includes our scholarship students and all of that. So that's really important for the public to understand that we provide oversight for all of that funding. And so as we continue to look at going into the school year, you know, like many school districts across the state, we, you know, we expected, and we saw it last year that we had a decline in enrollment." The proposed budget includes a decrease in the millage rate compared to last year. However, this does not necessarily mean lower property taxes for residents. If property values have increased over the past year, taxpayers may still end up paying the same amount or more in property taxes. Carlin emphasized her commitment to fiscal responsibility, saying, "We all have connections out there. It is the greatest privilege of my life to get to serve as the superintendent in this community, and as it pertains to the budget, I will always honor my word to the voters. I will always look at those dollars as precious taxpayer dollars. We will continue to examine each one of them. We will make sure that we operate in the cleanest way possible, and that will take as many dollars." The first budget hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. on September 8 at the Lee County Public Education Center. Carlin encouraged community members to share their input. "The beautiful part about living in our country is you get the opportunity to express your opinion. We will absolutely take care of those issues as they're brought forward. Please reach out on email, they call me, and they call our board member. So, so many ways for parents to let us know," Carlin said. A second budget hearing will follow before district leaders vote on the final plan. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment, and original programming on your TV.
