School District’s Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale this week
Later this week the Lee County School District is hosting a Scholastic Warehouse Book Sale where many books for children, adolescents and adults are 50 percent off the cover price.
The book sale, hosted inside the East entrance of the Lee Education Center at 2855 Colonial Blvd., in Fort Myers, is open to the public Thursday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maria Callis, a staff member in the district’s Curriculum and Staff Development Center, said the semi-annual sale is in conjunction with Scholastic Book Fairs. The district began hosting these events two years ago and the four book sales have been popular.
Hundreds of people take advantage of the half-off sale twice a year, which are modeled after book sales held at individual schools. Most of the items are half off, but sales range from 25 to 80 percent.
“It is similar to the book sales done at the schools but the materials are half off their published price,” she said.
The space holding the book sale is in a rather large lobby inside the Lee Education Center. Twenty-seven double book cases will hold items for sale, as well as boxes with additional books and gifts.
Proceeds raised by the district benefit migrant and homeless students in Lee County. Seventy percent of the district’s 80,000 students are enrolled in the free or reduced lunch program, and Callis said events like the book sale help students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
Many Lee County students have limited access to books and texts outside of the classroom.
“We’re working with the students to send children home with a book of their choice for the summer,” she said. “Also, we’re working with the Boys and Girls Club at the STARS Facility to provide them with reading material.”
Besides providing books to the community, Callis said new teachers also receive a box of books to help build their own classroom libraries.