School District of Lee County, Florida
| School District of Lee County |
|---|
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| Lee County, Florida |
| District details |
| Superintendent: Denise Carlin |
| # of school board members: 7 |
| Website: Link |
The School District of Lee County, also called the Lee County School District, is a school district in Florida.
Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...
- Superintendent
- School board
- Elections
- Budget
- Teacher salaries
- Academic performance
- Students
- Staff
- Schools
- Contact information
Superintendent
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This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates. |
The School District of Lee County superintendent is an elected position.[1]
Dr. Denise Carlin is the superintendent of the School District of Lee County. She was elected on November 4, 2024. Her previous career experience includes working as a teacher, assistant principal, and principal.[2]
Past superintendents
- Christopher S. Bernier is the superintendent of the School District of Lee County. Bernier was appointed superintendent on May 16, 2022 and served until November 2024. Bernier's previous career experience includes serving as chief of staff in the Clark County School District. He also served as the leader of the Office of School Choice, associate superintendent, director, principal, assistant principal, and a teacher in the Orange County Public Schools.[3]
- Ken Savage was the interim superintendent of the School District of Lee County from June 15, 2021 until May 16, 2022. Savage's previous career experience includes being the chief operations officer for the district, working in the executive leadership cabinet for the Florida Office of the Chancellor K-12 Public Schools, and being a school principal.[4]
- Gregory K. Adkins was the superintendent of the School District of Lee County from 2015 to 2021. Adkins' previous career experience includes working as the chief operations officer and chief human resources officer of the district.[5]
- Nancy Graham was the superintendent of the School District of Lee County from 2013 to 2015. Graham's previous career experience included working as a principal and school/district administrator in the district.[6][7]
School board
The School District of Lee County school board consists of seven members elected to four-year terms. Five members are elected by district and two members are elected at large.[8][9]
| Office | Name | Date assumed office |
|---|---|---|
| School District of Lee County school board District 1 | Sam Fisher | November 22, 2022 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 2 | Melisa Giovannelli | 2016 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 3 | Bill Ribble | November 19, 2024 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 4 | Debbie Jordan | 2019 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 5 | Armor Persons | November 22, 2022 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 6 | Jada Langford-Fleming | November 22, 2022 |
| School District of Lee County school board District 7 | Vanessa Chaviano | November 19, 2024 |
Elections
Elections are held on a staggered basis in the November general election.[8]
One seat on the school board was up for general election on November 5, 2024. The election for two other seats on the board were decided in the August 20, 2024, primary election. Candidates could win outright in the primary election if they were unopposed or if they received a majority of votes cast in the primary.
Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.
Join the conversation about school board politics
Public participation in board meetings
The School District of Lee County school board maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[10]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
District map
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[11]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $230,152,000 | $2,366 | 17% |
| Local: | $785,892,000 | $8,080 | 58% |
| State: | $338,473,000 | $3,480 | 25% |
| Total: | $1,354,517,000 | $13,926 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $1,223,254,000 | $12,576 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $1,049,327,000 | $10,788 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $606,478,000 | $6,235 | 50% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $110,659,000 | $1,137 | 9% |
| Administration: | $109,035,000 | $1,121 | 9% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $223,155,000 | $2,294 | 18% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $135,710,000 | $1,395 | |
| Construction: | $70,805,000 | $727 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $21,192,000 | $217 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $17,025,000 | $175 |
Teacher salaries
The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.
| Year | Minimum |
|---|---|
| 2024-2025[12] | $50,500 |
| 2023-2024[13] | $50,000 |
| 2021-2022[14] | $47,300 |
| 2020-2021 | $47,300 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[15]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 47 | 73 | 29 | 41 | 55-59 | 54 | 61 |
| 2018-2019 | 58 | 83 | 41 | 52 | 70-74 | 62 | 69 |
| 2017-2018 | 57 | 80 | 38 | 50 | 60-64 | 61 | 68 |
| 2016-2017 | 53 | 79 | 35 | 47 | 55-59 | 56 | 64 |
| 2015-2016 | 51 | 76 | 32 | 45 | 60-64 | 54 | 62 |
| 2014-2015 | 52 | 76 | 34 | 46 | 50-54 | 61 | |
| 2013-2014 | 60 | 83 | 42 | 55 | 60-64 | 70 | |
| 2012-2013 | 58 | 80 | 39 | 52 | 60-64 | 68 | |
| 2011-2012 | 57 | 79 | 37 | 51 | 55-59 | 67 | |
| 2010-2011 | 70 | 84 | 50 | 65 | 70-74 | 78 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-2021 | 50 | 73 | 35 | 43 | 55-59 | 57 | 62 |
| 2018-2019 | 54 | 74 | 38 | 46 | 65-69 | 60 | 66 |
| 2017-2018 | 53 | 74 | 37 | 45 | 60-64 | 60 | 65 |
| 2016-2017 | 52 | 72 | 35 | 44 | 60-64 | 58 | 65 |
| 2015-2016 | 51 | 70 | 33 | 43 | 65-69 | 57 | 63 |
| 2014-2015 | 53 | 73 | 33 | 45 | 55-59 | 65 | |
| 2013-2014 | 59 | 75 | 39 | 51 | 55-59 | 70 | |
| 2012-2013 | 59 | 74 | 40 | 51 | 55-59 | 69 | |
| 2011-2012 | 58 | 72 | 38 | 50 | 60-64 | 68 | |
| 2010-2011 | 63 | 74 | 45 | 57 | 60-64 | 72 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-2020 | 88 | >=95 | 87 | 86 | >=50 | 90-94 | 91 |
| 2018-2019 | 84 | >=95 | 81 | 79 | >=50 | 85-89 | 88 |
| 2017-2018 | 83 | 90-94 | 79 | 78 | >=50 | 75-79 | 88 |
| 2016-2017 | 79 | 90-94 | 73 | 75 | >=50 | 80-84 | 83 |
| 2015-2016 | 78 | 90-94 | 68 | 73 | >=50 | 80-84 | 83 |
| 2014-2015 | 75 | 90-94 | 65 | 71 | >=50 | 75-79 | 79 |
| 2013-2014 | 75 | 90-94 | 66 | 70 | >=50 | 80 | |
| 2012-2013 | 74 | >=95 | 61 | 72 | 60-79 | 79 | |
| 2011-2012 | 72 | 90-94 | 57 | 67 | >=50 | 77 | |
| 2010-2011 | 69 | 80-84 | 54 | 64 | 40-59 | 75 |
Students
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 100,064 | 0.7 |
| 2022-2023 | 99,354 | 2.1 |
| 2021-2022 | 97,264 | 2.4 |
| 2020-2021 | 94,927 | -0.7 |
| 2019-2020 | 95,613 | 1.3 |
| 2018-2019 | 94,410 | 1.3 |
| 2017-2018 | 93,221 | 0.6 |
| 2016-2017 | 92,686 | 1.5 |
| 2015-2016 | 91,309 | 2.1 |
| 2014-2015 | 89,364 | 2.2 |
| 2013-2014 | 87,425 | 1.9 |
| 2012-2013 | 85,765 | 2.2 |
| 2011-2012 | 83,895 | 2.3 |
| 2010-2011 | 81,967 | 1.8 |
| 2009-2010 | 80,484 | 1.3 |
| 2008-2009 | 79,434 | -1.4 |
| 2007-2008 | 80,541 | 1.9 |
| 2006-2007 | 78,981 | 4.2 |
| 2005-2006 | 75,634 | 5.8 |
| 2004-2005 | 71,210 | 6.7 |
| 2003-2004 | 66,466 | 5.0 |
| 2002-2003 | 63,172 | 3.9 |
| 2001-2002 | 60,718 | 3.8 |
| 2000-2001 | 58,401 | 3.9 |
| 1999-2000 | 56,109 | 0.0 |
| RACE | School District of Lee County (%) | Florida K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Black | 13.5 | 20.9 |
| Hispanic | 48.9 | 37.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.1 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 3.2 | 4.2 |
| White | 32.6 | 34.4 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
As of the 2023-2024 school year, School District of Lee County had 4,417.76 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 22.65.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 27.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 268.00 |
| Elementary: | 1,436.24 |
| Secondary: | 1,968.55 |
| Total: | 4,417.76 |
School District of Lee County employed 84.50 district administrators and 254.35 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 84.50 |
| District Administrative Support: | 143.88 |
| School Administrators: | 254.35 |
| School Administrative Support: | 524.21 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 1,433.84 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 137.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 164.03 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 45.70 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 97.33 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 4.80 |
| Library/Media Support: | 35.93 |
| Student Support Services: | 1,637.71 |
| Other Support Services: | 2,264.24 |
Schools
Contact information
Lee County School District
2855 Colonial Blvd.
Fort Myers, FL 33966
Phone: 239-334-1102
About school boards
Education legislation in Florida
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| Florida | School Board Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
- Search Google News for this topic
- Lee County Public Schools
- Florida School Boards Association
- Florida Department of Education
Footnotes
- ↑ Florida Politics, "Lee County voters approve switch to elected Superintendents," November 9, 2022
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Superintendent," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ The School District of Lee County, "Christopher S. Bernier, Ed.D. - Superintendent," accessed December 13, 2023
- ↑ News-Press, "Lee schools taps chief operations officer as interim leader during superintendent search," June 14, 2021
- ↑ The School District of Lee County, "Superintendent," accessed November 8, 2019
- ↑ Fort Myers News-Press, "Lee County superintendent Nancy Graham resigns," September 11, 2015
- ↑ LinkedIn, "Nancy J Graham, Ed.D.," accessed November 8, 2019
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Online Sunshine, "The 2020 Florida Statutes: 1001.35 - Term of office," accessed April 27, 2021
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Board Policy: School Board Membership," accessed July 22, 2021
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Board Policy: 0169.1 - PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Article 10 – Compensation," accessed April 23, 2025
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Starting Salary Schedule Calculator (Instructional Staff)," accessed February 6, 2024
- ↑ School District of Lee County, "Collective Bargaining Agreement Between the School Board of Lee County and the Teachers Association of Lee County," accessed July 22, 2021
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
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