The Lee County School Board has approved a tentative $2.7 billion budget for the 2025–26 school year. The decision came during the first of two public budget hearings held on July 29, with the final hearing set for September 9 at 5:05 p.m.
Key Millage Rates & Tax Impact
The board adopted a total millage rate of 5.319, projected to raise $863.6 million. This includes:
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Required Local Effort: 3.071 mills ($498.6M to be raised)
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Basic Discretionary Millage: 0.748 mills ($121.4M to be raised)
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Capital Outlay: 1.500 mills ($243.5M to be raised)
For context, one mill equals $1 per $1,000 of assessed taxable property value. The new rate represents a 1.43% increase over last year’s rollback rate and comes alongside a 5.39% increase in the county’s tax roll to $169 billion.
Budget Director Kelly Letcher noted it’s the first time in recent memory that both the tax roll and millage rate have increased together. Chief Financial Officer Dr. Ami Desamours added that the rise in the tax roll is the smallest since 2019 and may signal a continued trend in the coming years.
What This Means for Homeowners
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Home valued at $105,390 (up from $100,000): School taxes will be $560.57, an increase of $31.97.
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Homestead/Save Our Homes cap at 3% (value now $103,000): School taxes will be $414.88, an increase of $18.43.
Budget Breakdown
The total budget of $2,798,172,189 is allocated across five main categories:
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General Operating: $1,258,324,703
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Special Revenue: $117,280,254
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Debt Service: $71,050,046
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Capital Outlay: $1,129,782,490
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Internal Service: $221,734,696
Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin’s $9.1 million “realignment” shifted more resources directly into classrooms. A significant portion of the general fund — about $1 billion — comes from the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), which also includes an estimated $90 million for Family Empowerment Scholarships.
The budget includes a $90 increase per full-time equivalent (FTE) employee, bringing the total to $9,331, and raises the base student allocation to $5,372.60 — a $41.62 increase from last year.
Next Steps: The final budget hearing is scheduled for September 9, 5:05 p.m.
