A Strategic Investment in Educators
At the heart of every thriving school is a great teacher. As the School District of Lee County prepares for the 2025–2026 academic year, it has taken a bold step to honor and support the educators who are making the greatest impact on student achievement with the Honoring Our Educators: Teacher Incentive Initiative.
This initiative is more than just another program—it is a strategic investment in the people who shape our future. With the unanimous approval of the School Board of Lee County, this initiative establishes a new salary incentive structure designed to attract, retain, and reward high-quality teachers working in our most academically challenged schools and in subjects where their expertise is most urgently needed.
The goal is simple: to have high-quality teachers in every classroom on the first day of school in August. Students deserve nothing less.
Across Florida and the nation, school districts are struggling to staff classrooms with certified, experienced teachers, especially in lower-achieving schools and high-demand subject areas. Lee County is taking action by leveraging its legal authority under Florida law to make targeted compensation decisions that meet the needs of students.
Here’s how it works.
A Risk-Based Framework for Academic Success
The initiative is built on an academic risk-based framework, identifying schools that face the highest academic and staffing challenges. Educators assigned to these schools with lower-achieving students will be eligible for school-level salary incentives. These incentives, up to $9,000, are on top of a teacher’s base salary.
Additionally, the District has identified Critical and Complementary Subject Areas—specific courses and grade levels that are either directly tied to Florida’s statewide accountability model or have a cumulative, measurable effect on student academic outcomes. Teachers whose schedules include a significant proportion of these subjects will receive additional incentives. Whether it’s a high school Algebra teacher or a Kindergarten teacher, the district is intentionally investing where it counts.
Focusing on Critical and Complementary Subjects
Critical Subjects include courses like Grades 3–10 English Language Arts, Algebra 1, Geometry, and Biology—subjects with mandatory state assessments and high vacancy rates. Complementary Subjects, such as early-grade science or upper-level English, don’t carry the same testing burden but play a key role in long-term academic achievement.
This dual-pronged strategy supports both immediate staffing needs and long-term student success. It’s important to emphasize that this initiative is statutorily separate from collective bargaining.
While the district remains committed to good-faith negotiations and values the work of its labor partners, this initiative stands alone under Florida law, allowing the School District to act swiftly and strategically in support of its educational mission.
A Message of Support and Gratitude
Most importantly, this initiative sends a clear message: Lee County supports teachers taking on the critical challenge of prioritizing high student achievement for the entire community. The district recognizes that teacher quality is the most important in-school factor affecting student achievement. That is why it is not just filling vacancies—it is creating a system that recognizes the varying challenges educators face within the classroom and ensures that every student has access to great instruction every day.
To the teachers: thank you. Whether you are closing learning gaps, guiding students through state standards, supporting students with disabilities, or nurturing curiosity in the earliest grades, your work matters more than ever. This initiative reflects the district’s gratitude and belief in the power of education.
Looking Ahead
This summer, take time to recharge and reflect on a year well spent. When school resumes in August, teachers will return to a district that is not only celebrating their success but investing in it.
Because in Lee County, the future of education begins with you.
