Recognitions

The School Board recognized:

• Students who participated in the CyberPatriot CyberCamp, held at FSW this summer. The camp concluded with a team-based competition that tested their abilities in a realistic cybersecurity challenge. Standard Camp 1st Place Team: Oenomaus Diel (Veterans Park), Ethan Leon (Lehigh Senior High School), Aarohi Chikku (Three Oaks Middle School), Advik Krishna (Three Oaks Middle School). Advanced Camp 1st Place Team: Phillip Manning (North Fort Myers High School), Siddharth Karthikeyan (Dunbar High School), Lachlan Feichthaler (Oasis Charter High School), Alexander Wong (Mariner High School).
• Franklin Park Elementary Community Partnership School for achieving official certification as a Community Partnership School, awarded by the University of Central Florida (UCF) Center for Community Schools. Earning full certification confirms that Franklin Park Elementary has established a sustainable, cross-sector infrastructure anchored by four core partners: the School District of Lee County, Lee Health, Florida Gulf Coast University, and the United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades.

Consent Action Items

The School Board approved:

• Salary increases for full-time, direct instructional staff members with 10 years of teaching experience in a Florida Public School through the Classroom Teacher and Other Instructional Personnel Salary Increase Allocation (CTOIPSIA).
• Reimbursement to cover the estimated travel cost to any person consenting to use their private vehicles in lieu of District bus transportation to transport isolated/handicapped students to and/or from public schools or unauthorized bus stops.
• Funding for quarterly, semiannual, annual, and five-year inspections and testing for the District’s water-based fire systems.
• Funding for the rental and purchase of industrial equipment and tools, to be used primarily by the Maintenance Services Department for day-to-day operations.
• Funding for the installation, maintenance and repairs of fire alarm systems throughout the District.
• Funding for school flooring upgrades.
• Funding for the fabrication and/or installation of casework throughout the District on an as-needed basis.
• Funding for HVAC Chiller upgrades at North Fort Myers High School.
• Memorandum of Understanding with Hanley Foundation Properties, Inc., to provide needed services related to substance abuse prevention.
• A letter of Agreement with United Way of Lee, Hendry, and Glades to provide funding support for the employment of Behavior Specialist/Dean for Behavioral Supports positions at three designated schools under the Community Partnership Schools: Franklin Park Elementary School, Colonial Elementary School, and Fort Myers Middle School.
• To transition Medicare-eligible retirees (ages 65+) to the Florida School Retiree Benefits Consortium (FSRBC), effective January 1, 2027.

Special Board Meeting

The Board adopted:

• FY27 Final Budget and Related Resolutions Adopting the Final Budget
• The 2026-2027 Final proposed required local effort millage of 3.0230 mills
• The 2026-2027 final proposed basic discretionary millage of 0.748 mills
• The 2026-2027 final proposed capital outlay millage of 1.500
• A Resolution Determining Revenues and Millages Levied and the Resolution Adopting the Final Millage Rates for the fiscal year 2026-2027.

Administrative Appointments

• James Lynom, Director, Transportation Services
• Zachary Scheid, Assistant Director, Procurement
• Leta Dietz-Smith, Assistant Director, Grants and Program Development
• Gibelle Salomon, Assistant Staff Attorney
• Todd Maurer, Assistant Principal, Gateway High School
• Paul Milford,Senior Coordinator, Grants and Program Development
• Rita Davis, Coordinator, Grants and Program Development
• Amber Lancaster,Coordinator, School Counseling and Mental Health Services

Please note that this page is updated after every School Board Action Meeting. For past meeting minutes, agendas and for a complete list of actions taken at the September 8 meeting visit the District’s BoardDocs page.

Our next action meeting is at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, at the Lee County Public Education Center. All meetings are live streamed and available to view at your convenience on the District’s YouTube channel.

Thank you.
The School Board of Lee County