Guest Comment: Borrowing more money not the solution for Lee schools
Mortgaging our children’s future is not the answer.
The Lee County School District is a half-billion dollars in debt. While some may argue that district administration or the school board has mismanaged the budget, audit after audit prove otherwise. The district’s bond rating is better than the national average for a school district, and that is a good indicator of fiscal responsibility. Rather, systemic underfunding of schools led to a lack of options to fund construction and renovation projects during a period of sharp enrollment growth. New schools had to be built somehow, someway.
However, Lee County is on the hook until the 2035-36 school year to the tune of $412 million, plus interest, for a total of $555 million. Over the next five years, it’s projected that Lee will spend about half of the money generated through local property taxes on debt service, roughly $66 million per year. That effectively cuts in half the available budget to provide maintenance to existing school buildings, upgrade technology and safety equipment, and purchase new school buses, classroom furniture, musical instruments and other materials.
In the next five years, Lee County will need to build two new elementary schools, two new middle schools, one new high school and one technical center, as well as rebuild an elementary and middle school. It will need to install security cameras and hardened doors to ensure student safety, repair electrical and HVAC system so school buildings stay in working order, modernize audio-visual and computer systems, and replace roofs, furniture, flooring and windows at aging facilities.
Already short on cash, some have suggested the district take out additional loans. Although state guidelines would allow Lee County to continue borrowing, the district already has eight-figure loan payments scheduled annually for the next two decades. We don’t need to saddle the school system with more debt.
Instead, Lee County voters will be asked on Nov. 6 to approve a half-cent sales tax increase for a period of 10 years. Raising the tax rate from 6 percent to 6.5 percent would generate an estimated $754.8 million over the next decade, providing an infusion of cash to cover the aforementioned projects. Tourists would pay about 30 percent of the total revenue, allowing our schools and community to benefit from this revenue without harming the industry. Enrollment will continue growing at a clip of 1,500 to 2,000 students annually, so we do not have the luxury of delaying construction projects.
There are plenty of arguments for and against the sales tax, but an investment in education is an investment in our community. Numerous studies have shown that communities with world-class school systems have higher property values, stronger economic health, ample job opportunities and a highly trained workforce that attracts corporate relocations. School buildings themselves are community centers, hosting public meetings, neighborhood gatherings and, as we saw during Hurricane Irma, storm shelters that serve thousands of area residents in times of crisis.
Mortgaging our children’s future is not the answer. Vote yes for the half-cent sales tax on Nov. 6 to provide our schools with debt-free resources to continue educating our children in a safe, high-quality learning environment.
Ami Desamours is a resident of Lehigh Acres with 15 years of experience managing education budgets. She previously was chief financial officer with the Lee County School District.