This special meeting is focused almost entirely on one of the most important decisions the School Board makes each year: adoption of the tentative fiscal year 2026-2027 property tax millage rates and the district's tentative operating budget. Rather than considering a broad range of school business, the board will review financial presentations, hold a legally required public hearing, consider public comment, and vote on resolutions establishing the proposed tax rates and budget for the coming fiscal year.
The proposed tentative budget totals $3,122,296,479 across all district funds. The largest portions are the $1.414 billion Capital Fund, $1.221 billion General Fund, $226.9 million Internal Service Fund, $137.3 million Debt Service Fund, and $122.7 million Special Revenue Fund. District leadership states that the budget is intended to support more than 100,000 students across approximately 120 schools, while maintaining priorities of student achievement, safety, employee retention, and fiscal responsibility.
Property taxes are a major component of the discussion. The proposed combined school millage is 5.271 mills, consisting of 3.023 mills for Required Local Effort, 0.748 mills for Basic Discretionary Operating, and 1.500 mills for Capital Outlay. Although property values continue to rise, district documents state the proposed total millage is 1.97% below the calculated rollback rate, meaning the tax rate itself is lower than the rate that would generate the same revenue from existing property values. Rising assessments may still increase individual tax bills depending on a property's taxable value.
The meeting also establishes the timeline toward final budget adoption. If approved, the tentative budget will remain in effect until the final required public hearing, currently scheduled for September 8, 2026, when the School Board is expected to consider final millage rates and adopt the final FY2026-2027 budget.
Major Discussion and Action Items
Adoption of FY2026-2027 Tentative Budget
The board is scheduled to consider adoption of the district's tentative budget totaling $3.122 billion. The budget allocates funding among instructional programs, transportation, facilities, debt service, food service, insurance, grants, and other district operations. District leadership describes the proposal as balancing educational priorities with long-term financial stability while supporting continued enrollment exceeding 100,000 students.
Adoption of Proposed Millage Rates
Separate board actions are scheduled for each property tax component before adoption of the overall budget. The proposed rates are:
- Required Local Effort: 3.023 mills
- Basic Discretionary Operating: 0.748 mills
- Capital Outlay: 1.500 mills
- Combined proposed rate: 5.271 mills
These individual votes satisfy Florida statutory requirements governing school district taxation and budget adoption.
Public Hearing on the Tentative Budget
Florida law requires a public hearing before the School Board adopts tentative tax rates and budget documents. The meeting includes presentations explaining the rollback rate, proposed millage, overall budget, and tentative budget before opening the hearing for public participation under School Board Policy 0169.1. Residents have an opportunity to comment before the board votes.
Capital Program and Facility Investment
Capital funding remains one of the largest components of the district's financial plan. Documents identify continued investment in new schools, additions, renovations, rebuilding older campuses, technology improvements, maintenance, transportation equipment, safety improvements, and district infrastructure. Planned projects include new East Zone elementary, middle, and high schools, rebuilding Cypress Lake Middle School and Hector Cafferata K-8, additions at Cape Coral Technical Center, remodeling multiple campuses, and countywide maintenance and roofing projects.
Capital Transfer Supporting Operations
The district proposes transferring approximately $52.2 million from allowable capital revenues to eligible operating costs permitted under Florida law. According to the presentation, the transfer would support charter school PECO funding, property insurance, maintenance personnel, enterprise software, maintenance vehicles, safety and planning personnel, information technology personnel, and bus operators while preserving long-term capital priorities. District officials emphasize that the transfer will not compromise planned construction projects.
Certification of Taxable Value
The School Board is scheduled to accept the 2026 Certification of School Taxable Value (DR-420S). The certified taxable value totals $171,791,848,289, providing the tax base used to calculate proposed school property tax revenues. Acceptance authorizes completion of required state reporting.
Scheduling the Final Budget Hearing
Another required action schedules the final public hearing for September 8, 2026, at 5:05 PM at the Lee County Public Education Center. During that meeting the board is expected to consider final millage rates and final adoption of the FY2026-2027 budget.
Financial Matters
The tentative budget totals $3,122,296,479 across all funds. Major fund categories include:
- General Fund: $1,220,903,783
- Special Revenue: $122,735,083
- Debt Service: $137,272,163
- Capital Projects: $1,414,450,429
- Internal Service: $226,935,021
The proposed property tax revenues include:
- Required Local Effort: $498,553,688
- Basic Discretionary Operating: $123,360,291
- Capital Outlay: $247,380,262
Combined, these millage components are expected to raise approximately $869.3 million.
The budget summary projects approximately $1.716 billion in revenues before transfers and beginning balances, with funding from local, state, and federal sources. Local revenue remains the largest revenue source for the General Fund.
The capital outlay tax supports a broad range of eligible expenditures, including school construction, renovations, technology, buses, maintenance, insurance, environmental compliance, portable classrooms, and charter school capital projects. Documents also describe significant reserve balances intended to maintain financial stability, including contingency reserves required under Florida law.
Policies, Ordinances, Resolutions, and Governance
The meeting centers on several formal resolutions required under Florida law.
These include resolutions:
- Determining revenues and millages to be levied.
- Adopting tentative millage rates.
- Adopting the tentative FY2026-2027 budget.
- Accepting the 2026 certification of taxable value.
The board will also follow established public participation procedures under School Board Policy 0169.1 during the budget hearing. These actions are procedural but legally necessary before final budget adoption in September.
Staff presentations cover:
- Percent increase or decrease compared with the rollback rate.
- Proposed operating and capital millage.
- Overall budget overview.
- Proposed FY2026-2027 tentative budget.
The presentation explains that the proposed millage is 1.97% below the rollback rate while emphasizing that changes in individual property assessments may still affect taxes.
Additional budget information describes:
- More than $1.08 billion in Florida Education Finance Program funding.
- Approximately $111 million associated with Family Empowerment Scholarships.
- Approximately $40 million increase in FEFP revenue compared with the prior year.
- Continued emphasis on mental wellness, English learner support, academic achievement, employee retention, and professional learning.
- General Fund spending concentrated on classroom instruction and direct educational services.
- Community Eligibility Program continuing to provide meals at no charge for students districtwide.
Personnel, Appointments, and Organizational Matters
No major personnel appointments, employment agreements, or board appointments appear to be the focus of this meeting.
However, the budget documents identify employee retention as a major district priority and include funding for instructional staff, transportation employees, maintenance personnel, safety personnel, information technology staff, and employee benefits. Internal Service funding also supports medical insurance, workers' compensation, and property insurance, while district-paid employee health and life insurance benefits are summarized within the budget presentation.
Projects, Facilities, Infrastructure, and Operations
The capital program supports both expansion and preservation of district facilities.
Highlighted projects include:
- Three new East Zone elementary schools.
- Two new East Zone middle schools.
- Two new East Zone high schools identified in the capital notice.
- East Zone PreK-8 school.
- Cypress Lake Middle School rebuild.
- Hector Cafferata K-8 rebuild.
- Riverdale High School remodeling.
- Veterans Park Academy improvements.
- Bonita Elementary remodeling.
- Bayshore Elementary addition.
- Cape Coral Technical Center addition.
- Countywide maintenance, roofing, HVAC, technology, safety inspections, and hurricane-related repairs.
Operational investments also include purchasing up to 75 school buses, district vehicles, driver's education vehicles, furniture, technology, enterprise software, and environmental compliance projects.
A public hearing on the tentative budget and proposed millage rates will be held:
- Date: August 3, 2026
- Time: 5:05 PM
- Location: Lee County Public Education Center, 2855 Colonial Boulevard, Fort Myers, Florida
Residents may provide public comment before the School Board votes on the tentative millage and budget.
If the tentative budget is approved, the final required public hearing is scheduled for:
- Date: September 8, 2026
- Time: 5:05 PM
- Location: Lee County Public Education Center
The September meeting is expected to include final adoption of millage rates and the FY2026-2027 budget.
The proposed budget directly affects students by funding classroom instruction, transportation, meals, school safety, technology, facilities, and educational support services.
Families may see continued access to free meals through the Community Eligibility Program and ongoing investments in student services, mental wellness, and academic programs.
Taxpayers are directly affected through the proposed millage rates. Although the total proposed rate is below the rollback rate, changes in taxable property values may still influence individual tax bills.
Employees are affected through continued funding for salaries, benefits, insurance programs, employee retention efforts, maintenance staffing, transportation staffing, and safety personnel.
Community organizations, businesses, and contractors may be affected through continued capital construction, maintenance projects, technology purchases, transportation acquisitions, and other district procurement activities supported by the capital program.
- How does the proposed budget address anticipated enrollment growth over the next several years?
- Which capital projects are expected to begin first during FY2026-2027?
- How will the district prioritize projects if construction costs continue to increase?
- What assumptions were used in forecasting property tax revenues?
- How will the proposed capital transfer affect future construction capacity?
- What performance measures will be used to evaluate employee retention initiatives?
- How will the district monitor reserve levels throughout the fiscal year?
- What additional adjustments could occur before final budget adoption in September?
- How are hurricane recovery costs reflected in the capital and operating budgets?
- What financial risks could require future budget amendments?
Important Dates, Deadlines, and Next Steps
- August 3, 2026: Public hearing on tentative budget and proposed millage rates.
- August 3, 2026: Board votes on tentative millage resolutions, tentative budget, taxable value certification, and scheduling of final hearing.
- August 11, 2026: Schools scheduled to open according to the district budget calendar.
- August 28, 2026: Student enrollment count adjustments identified in the budget calendar.
- September 8, 2026: Final public hearing and anticipated adoption of final FY2026-2027 budget and final millage rates.
- September 8, 2026: Submission of the Annual Financial Report and related state budget documentation following final adoption.
Key Takeaways
- The meeting focuses almost entirely on the FY2026-2027 tentative budget and property tax rates.
- The proposed tentative budget totals $3.122 billion.
- The proposed combined school millage rate is 5.271 mills.
- The proposed rate is 1.97% below the calculated rollback rate.
- Approximately $869.3 million would be raised through proposed property taxes.
- Capital projects remain the largest single budget fund at $1.414 billion.
- Major capital investments include new schools, rebuilding campuses, maintenance, buses, and technology.
- The district proposes a $52.2 million allowable capital transfer supporting eligible operating costs.
- More than 100,000 students and roughly 120 schools are supported by the proposed budget.
- Public testimony is scheduled before tentative budget adoption.
- Final budget adoption is expected on September 8, 2026 after an additional public hearing.
Official Sources
About the Public Body
- Name: The School District of Lee County
- Organization type: school-district
- Government body: school-boards
- Location: Fort Myers, florida
- County: Lee County
- Provider: boarddocs
Keywords
The School District of Lee County, Lee County School Board, Fort Myers, Florida, FY2026-2027 tentative budget, tentative millage, rollback rate, Required Local Effort, Basic Discretionary Millage, Capital Outlay Millage, public hearing, property taxes, capital projects, school construction, East Zone schools, transportation, school buses, maintenance, technology, reserves, debt service, General Fund, Capital Fund, Community Eligibility Program, FEFP, taxable value certification, September 8 budget hearing, fiscal responsibility, student achievement, employee retention
