(This story has been updated to correct McDaigle’s schooling and clarify her involvement in a nonprofit.)
Four of the Lee County School Board’s seven seats are on the ballot in the Aug. 18 primary election.
Two candidates are vying to represent District 1.
Jenn McDaigle, a 49-year-old candidate running for District 1, is a technology and corporate executive with a background in youth development. McDaigle is the mother of a daughter starting kindergarten in Lee County Public Schools and spent years advocating for her late daughter, Quillen, within the district’s special education system. She is a former nonprofit president and has managed multimillion-dollar budgets for major companies.
She said she’s a Florida native and has lived in Lee County for a decade. She earned a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Covenant College. McDaigle said she’s committed to providing future-ready schools with deeply human values to ensure every child has the resources to be successful.
School board candidates are campaigning on platforms of fiscal transparency, teacher retention and parental rights as the district navigates a $92.4 million budget deficit and “strategic budget realignment” that has already resulted in notices for 457 staff member’s whose contracts were not renewed.
The School District of Lee County is home to more than 100,000 students at its 118 schools. It is the eighth-largest school district in Florida and the 27th-largest in the nation, according to the district’s 2024-25 impact report.
Here’s what you should know about the Lee County School Board race and a Q&A with District 1 candidate Jenn McDaigle.
Only voters residing within District 1 can vote for this race in the primary election Aug. 18, regardless of party affiliation.
About the Lee County School Board District 1 seat
Schools within District 1 boundaries:
How much did McDaigle raise?
As of the latest report July 3, McDaigle’s campaign raised about $7,474.
Notable contributions came from F. Bradford Smith and Gloria B. Smith, who each contributed $1,000. Other notable contributions came from Howard Klein, who donated $579; retired science teacher Tara Brewitt, who donated $700; Stephen Chapin, who donated $300; Lisa Conti, who donated $500; and McDaigle’s sister, Stephanie Brussell, who donated $300.
Who is McDaigle running against in the 2026 primary election?
McDaigle is competing against Sam Fisher in the primary election. Voters will decide a winner in the primary election.
Q&A with Jenn McDaigle, candidate for the Lee County School Board
Why are you running for school board?
I know what it means to need a school to show up. For years, I navigated Lee County’s special needs system for my oldest daughter. Now my youngest is starting kindergarten, and I’m asking: are we ready? Over half our elementary students can’t read at grade level. Teachers and support staff are being non-renewed, and the district raided its capital fund to shrink a $92 million deficit down to $46.7 million. I spent a decade as a technology executive managing budgets at scale. I know how to fix what’s broken. I am running for every child, every family, every time.
What is your background and what makes you suited for the job?
For over a decade, I worked with children and families in youth development across Florida. As a parent to a child with a neurodegenerative disease, I spent years advocating for my oldest daughter in Lee County until she passed away in 2023. I’ve spent the last decade as a corporate executive at companies like Instacart and Zeta Global, managing multimillion-dollar budgets through rapid AI-driven change. Lee County’s school board governs $400 million, a budget that ran a $92 million deficit in 2026 before raiding capital funds. I know how to run something that size and produce real results.
What are your top three priorities, and how specifically would you take action on them?
Half our elementary kids read below grade level. I’d push full Science of Reading implementation and reading coaches in our highest-need schools. Second, fiscal accountability. The district’s deficit this year was cut to $46.7 million only after raiding capital funds. I’d demand an independent audit and full transparency. Third, parents, teachers and staff deserve a voice. Experienced staff deserve a conversation before non-renewal, and families deserve to hear about staffing and program changes before they happen. I’ve managed multimillion-dollar budgets for a living. I know how to hold this one accountable, and I’ll do it for every child.
McDaigle’s position on teacher pay and cost of living, other issues
Teacher pay and cost of living
Teacher pay in Lee County has not kept pace with the nation or the cost of living here. Starting salaries sit around $55,000 in a county where the median home costs over $350,000, and we are losing experienced teachers to Charlotte and Collier County every year because they pay more. I will push the board to prioritize teacher and support staff pay increases before administrative spending, advocate at the state level for higher base funding and end the practice of teachers spending their own money on classroom supplies. Teachers deserve to afford to live in the community they serve.
District budget and deficits
The district’s real deficit this year was $92 million. The board got it down to $46.7 million by cutting key programs and staff and raiding the capital fund meant for building and maintaining our schools. I will demand an independent audit of how we got here, quarterly public budget reporting so families can see where the money goes and an end to rolling budgets over year after year without adjusting for enrollment. I have managed multimillion-dollar budgets for a living, and I know how to run this district’s finances honestly and transparently.
Expanded availability of school vouchers
I respect that some families want more options for their kids, and that choice already exists in Florida law. My job on this board is to make sure that traditional public schools, which still educate the vast majority of Lee County students, are funded and run well enough to be every family’s obvious first choice. As vouchers expand statewide, I will push for full transparency on how that shift affects our budget and staffing here at home, and I will fight to protect per-pupil funding for the public schools most of our community still depends on every single day.
School security and safety
Every child should feel safe at school. The district is seeking $22 million in federal and state funding for security upgrades that are not finished, including our highest-need schools. I will push to complete those upgrades, provide properly trained school resource officers, and keep active shooter drills and reporting current. I will also push for reckless driving crackdowns around school buses and more counselors and mental health support, since most safety problems start long before they ever become emergencies. And I will make sure safety data and incident reports are shared openly with parents regularly, before a crisis forces it.
Parental rights
Parents are partners in their child’s education. I will push for clear, timely communication on curriculum, school changes and staffing decisions, so families hear from the district directly instead of finding out secondhand. I will also support a fair, documented complaint process, one that takes a parent’s concern seriously while also ensuring teachers receive a fair, unbiased review before any disciplinary action is taken. Both parents and educators deserve a board that listens honestly and treats them with the respect they deserve.
Curriculum and academic achievement
Half our elementary students read below grade level, and our test scores fall behind the state average. I will push for full, well-resourced Science of Reading implementation and real coaching support for teachers delivering it. I will also push for a future-ready curriculum that keeps deeply human values at its core: real exposure to AI and technology, alongside far less screen time, more hands-on, experiential learning and genuine human connection. Academic achievement means more than a test score. It means critical thinking, real-world skills and true readiness for the world they are actually inheriting.
What else do you think can be done better in the district?
Exceptional Student Education. Lee County is offering critical shortage bonuses to recruit ESE-certified staff, while it cannot say how many exceptional student education (ESE) paraprofessionals were among the 182 non-teacher positions cut this year. That gap in transparency is itself a problem. I know this system personally, from IEP meetings to specialized programs. I will push for significant staffing investment in ESE roles, faster IEP timelines and transparent public reporting on exactly who is affected when cuts happen. How a district treats its most vulnerable students says everything about its values.
Is there anything else you want to add?
Six organizations have endorsed this campaign, including those who work inside these schools such as TALC, SPALC and The School Board Project, because they believe I am exactly what our district needs. I’ve shown up when the cameras aren’t rolling, at candidate forums, at teacher and support staff meet-and-greets, community events across District 1 and Lee County, and even at your front door. If any of this resonates, I would love for you to join this fight for our children’s future. Reach out anytime, in whatever way works for you. For every child. Every family. Every time.
Visit jennforeverychild.com to learn more about McDaigle and her campaign.
Mickenzie Hannon is a watchdog reporter for The News-Press and Naples Daily News, covering Collier and Lee counties. Contact her at 239-435-3423 or mhannon@gannett.com.
Follow The News-Press & Naples Daily News throughout the Election 2026 campaign season, including important deadlines and Q&As with candidates running in key Southwest Florida races.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Meet Lee County School Board hopeful Jenn McDaigle ahead of election
Reporting by Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mickenzie Hannon, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News | USA TODAY Network
