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Board Transparency

What Happened at the LCSD Special Board Meeting?

1/25/26, 5:00 PM

During a recent Lee County School District special board meeting, the School Board voted to terminate the Board Attorney after she had already submitted her resignation and while she was attending a conference representing the district.


Key facts:

  • The Board Attorney had already resigned prior to the termination vote.

  • She was attending an out-of-town conference on behalf of the district at the time.

  • The Board voted to keep her on payroll through March 13.

  • An interim Board Attorney was appointed and placed on payroll simultaneously.

This decision resulted in overlapping legal salaries funded by taxpayers.




Why This Matters?

Ms. Bruno served as Board Attorney for nearly six years, working to protect the legal and fiscal interests of the Lee County School District.

Instead of recognizing her service and respecting her resignation, the Board chose to terminate her employment after the fact.

This raises serious concerns about:

  • Professional treatment of district employees

  • Consistency in board governance

  • Fiscal responsibility to taxpayers


Inconsistencies and Risks:

Several concerning issues emerged from this decision:

  • Previous Board Attorneys were not terminated after submitting resignations.

  • The inconsistency creates potential legal exposure for the district.

  • Taxpayers are now paying for overlapping legal counsel.

  • No public fiscal or legal risk assessment was presented prior to the decision.

Inconsistent application of policy undermines trust and exposes the district to unnecessary risk.



The Standard We Should Expect.

School districts should model:

  • Fairness

  • Accountability

  • Integrity

  • Respect for employees

Our children learn from the examples set by leadership. Decisions driven by inconsistency or retaliation send the wrong message.



My Commitment as District 5 Board Member:

As your elected District 5 School Board Member, I am committed to governing with accountability and integrity. I will work to:

  • Establish clear, uniform policies for resignations versus terminations.

  • Apply policies consistently, regardless of position or politics.

  • Prohibit overlapping pay unless legally required and publicly justified.

  • Require public fiscal and legal risk assessments before separation decisions.

  • Ensure decisions reflect fairness, transparency, and respect for employees and taxpayers.



The Bottom Line.

  • Taxpayers deserve clarity.

  • Employees deserve respect.

  • Students deserve better role models.

Learn more about my MEGA platform and how I will restore accountability at VoteSaintilusSBD5.com.

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