This story is part of a statewide partnership of 27 nonpartisan newsrooms and universities working to help Florida voters make informed decisions in the 2026 school board elections. Learn more about the Florida Elections Reporting Partnership.
Lee County School District is facing a projected $92.4 million budget shortfall next school year, forcing officials to spend more than $45 million in capital reserves to help close the gap — while still cutting hundreds of teaching positions and programs. On August 18, voters will choose between an incumbent who says the board is already reining in spending and a challenger demanding a forensic audit to account for every dollar.
The race in District 6 is one of two at-large school board seats and it pits two candidates with sharply different ideas about how to raise teacher pay, improve education outcomes or make immigrant students feel safe attending school. Although nonpartisan, the race also has the contours of a Democratic-versus-Republican contest given the candidates’ party registrations and the support they’ve drawn from partisan groups…