Dave Elias
•9/14/2026
The School District of Lee County has approved its new budget, lowering the millage rate to 5.271, which is down from last year, though some property owners may still pay more based on property values. Concerns initially arose about cuts to minority schools and arts programs, but Superintendent Denise Carlin addressed these directly. "Let's be clear! We are not cutting the arts. We're not cutting athletics. As a matter of fact, when you look at our arts schools and some other schools, they've actually increased in terms of dance teachers, drama teachers. So we'll debunk that myth right away," Carlin said. Documents shared earlier in the year highlighted anticipated cuts, including a $1.1 million reduction at Cypress Lake High School. Carlin explained that the actual cuts were far less. "What you received back in the spring was what the principal received, and that is the projected dollar amount that they were going to be losing," Carlin said. She clarified that Cypress Lake High School ultimately faced cuts of only a few hundred thousand dollars, not the projected $1.1 million. "Significantly less, because we actually have children at the school. When children show up, we get to look at all those dollar values," Carlin said, referring to Florida's school funding model, which allocates dollars based on student enrollment. The district previously cushioned certain schools with extra district funds, but Carlin acknowledged that smaller schools still face challenges due to lower enrollment. "Smaller schools suffer from lower enrollment. We did have a bridge fund," Carlin said. The bridge fund contains $10 million to support smaller schools, such as Sanibel School, which received additional funding to ensure students have access to a proper middle school program. "For example, at Sanibel School, that was one of the schools where they received extra dollars. We want to make sure those children can receive a proper middle school program," Carlin said. Despite the district-wide 11% budget cut from the previous year, Carlin emphasized that students are not suffering. "In my opinion, our students are not. Our students are flourishing," Carlin said. Letters from Edison Park Principal Sherri Wipf and the assistant director of arts and athletics supported this sentiment. Wipf acknowledged that initial communications about the budget did not fully reflect the situation, while the assistant director stated, "The programs are not just surviving, they're thriving." 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.
