Lee schools seek $17M in federal funds for security upgrades, safer entrances
As the School District of Lee County works to finalize its upcoming budget, officials are eyeing more than $17 million in federal funding to support safety upgrades at dozens of campuses, part of a broader $50 million infrastructure push, while the state’s final education budget remains unsettled.
At a school board workshop and meeting May 6, district officials outlined two major Community Project Funding requests aimed at replacing outdated intercom systems and building secure vestibules at schools lacking proper entry security.
"Safety is our district's number one priority," said Krissy Houlihan, the district’s government relations director. "With increasing threats in incidents nationwide, we must be proactive rather than reactive in protecting our schools.”
Why is the district requesting federal earmarks?
The district is leveraging the earmarks process, where members of Congress submit project-specific funding requests through the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, to directly secure money for high-priority capital needs.
Each House member is limited to 15 requests, and Lee County submitted two through U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Greg Steube, focusing on projects located primarily within Donalds’ district.
The first request is for $7 million to upgrade intercom systems at 57 schools. The project aims to replace outdated systems to improve emergency communication, better integrate with panic alert technology and meet compliance standards such as Alyssa’s Law, which requires silent panic alarms in public schools to directly notify law enforcement during emergencies.
The total cost of the intercom overhaul is projected at more than $50 million, with the district already committing over $43 million, a local investment that officials say shows strong financial partnership.
The second request seeks $10.05 million to install secure vestibules, which are interior holding areas between a building’s exterior entrance and its main hallway, at 65 schools that currently lack them. These entry upgrades provide an additional layer of screening before visitors gain access to a campus, helping slow intruders and give staff more time to respond during emergencies.
The vestibule project is estimated to cost $23.4 million total, with more than $4.3 million already committed locally.
Who's leading the charge in Washington?
The district’s lobbying team from Ballard Partners, including Dan McFaul and Tracie Pough, explained the earmark process is still ongoing, with final decisions likely months away.
"The federal appropriations process is ongoing and complex,” said McFaul, adding that decisions could come as late as December 2025 or even early 2026 depending on how the budget reconciliation process unfolds in Congress.