Saturday morning frustration erupted during a rally for change at the Lee County Public Education Center in Fort Myers.
Hundreds gathered chanting "Save our Schools!" and many wore T-shirts and carried banners that read "Make Our Schools A Priority."
Many wore Band-Aids to symbolize the cuts they'll all feel if Lee County schools don't get more money.
The Lee County School district is bracing for $70 million in cuts next year.
Florida is ranked 47th in the country for education funding.
"It says that maybe we should have taken a second look at who we voted for in our state. We need to really contact our legislators and get them to understand we mean business and we can't take it anymore," says Barbra Bartinkowski, a fifth-grade teacher at Orange River Elementary.
At Saturday morning's rally, dozens of people did just that.
At 10:30a.m. they were prompted to take out their cell phones and leave a message for Governor Charlie Crist, a move that left his in-box filled with screams and chants.
Crist is petitioning the federal government for a waiver allowing Florida schools to get stimulus money set aside for the state's education fund.
The sunshine state was slated to receive $3.6 billion over the next three years, but because of how Florida funds education itdoesn't qualify for the money.
"We have to beg with a waiver. That's a disgrace. That shouldn't be happening," says Teachers Association of Lee County president Mark Castellano.
Next on February 28th he will lead three busloads of demonstrators from Lee County to Orlando.
They'll join thousands of advocates from across the state at the University Of Central Florida for a "Make Our Schools A Priority" rally.
The buses will leave the Lee County Public Education Center at 7a.m.
You can reserve a seat on one of those busses by calling 239-275-8252 and asking for Lois.
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