In a commitment to transparency and student success, The School District of Lee County is proud to announce a significant milestone in its recruitment efforts: the successful closure of the "575 Baseline" of instructional vacancies identified in April of 2025.
On April 24, 2025, coinciding with the district’s annual Teacher Recruitment Fair, Human Resources benchmarked 575 advertised instructional vacancies. This figure represented a snapshot of remaining needs for the current term and anticipated openings for the upcoming 2025-2026 school year.
Through an initiative titled Project Believe, the School District partnered directly with school leadership to reduce the number of vacancies from 575 to zero. As of January 23, 2026, all “575 Baseline” vacancies from the April 2025 cohort have been successfully filled or resolved.
Like any large organization, whether a hospital or a major corporation, people’s lives change. While the “575 Baseline” has been addressed, the School District recognizes that employees retire, relocate, or pursue new opportunities, creating a "moving target" that results in rolling vacancies.
Currently, the School District is actively seeking to fill 27 instructional positions for the remainder of the current school year. This represents an 85% improvement from a year ago, when the School District needed to fill 190 teaching positions.
"Our mission is simple: a certified teacher for every student in Lee County," said Dr. Denise Carlin, Superintendent. "By sharing these internal metrics, we want the community to see the dedicated work happening behind the scenes every day. Recruitment is a collaborative effort between our Human Resources Division, Central Office, and our School Leadership teams."
The School District of Lee County continues to invite passionate, qualified educators to join its ranks. Strategic retention and recruitment efforts remain a top priority to ensure every classroom is well-equipped with a qualified instructor.
Interested applicants are encouraged to view current openings and apply at: www.Leeschools.net/Careers