Guest Commentary | Starting off the new year strong
We’ve had a great start to the school year as we now enter the second half. I’m excited to share some major accomplishments.
Record Graduation Rates
The School District achieved its highest graduation rate ever at 89.9%, a 4% improvement over last year. Our traditional high schools and Lee Virtual reached 95.3%, with North Fort Myers High and Fort Myers High both hitting an impressive 99%. I’m incredibly proud of our students, teachers, and staff for this achievement.
Teachers in Classrooms
Our leadership and staff did a fantastic job reducing baseline teacher vacancies from 575 last year to zero this year. We now have just 27 open instructional positions across the entire district, which is amazing. Student achievement is directly tied to having a qualified teacher in every classroom.
Thank you to our amazing teachers!
Safety & Bus Patrol
Safety is always a top priority for our students and staff. One of the most vulnerable times is during bus pickups and drop-offs. We partnered with Bus Patrol and law enforcement to install stop-arm enforcement technology, so anyone who passes a stopped bus gets a ticket. These fines support ongoing safety initiatives in our schools and law enforcement. As of today, the program has generated over $2 million in fines.
Technology
This school year, students cannot use cell phones during school hours. While touring a high school, the principal asked me, “Sam, do you hear that noise in the lunchroom?” Students are actually talking with each other again, something that wasn’t happening in a long time. Our academics team is also running the Unplugged campaign, reducing Chromebook reliance and getting back to traditional instruction. I’m looking forward to seeing the results.
Transparency
Transparency is a key practice of our district. We recently added a new web page showing a breakdown of our school and department budgets.
In addition, we partnered with Lee County Clerk of Courts Kevin Karnes and his office to offer a hotline for reporting district fraud, waste, and abuse at no additional cost to the School District or taxpayers.
New Schools
Our new high school in Alva, set to open in August 2027, has been officially named Alva High School and will be led by Principal Joe Restino. In Lehigh, Green Meadow Elementary will also open in August 2027 under Principal Ed Carter.
The new Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 School in Cape Coral and the Cape Coral Technical College expansion are both coming along nicely and set to open this fall.
Food
As a parent of students in the School District, I hear about food a lot. We’re now rolling out updated food items in all Lee County Schools, made semi-scratch and in-house by our cafeteria staff. I can’t wait to try the new chicken wings and Italian meatball sub!
Looking Ahead
The Board will be hiring a new board attorney, following up on AI and technology, and adding additional career and technical pathways.
As we move forward, our focus remains on helping all students finish this school year strong academically.
Wishing everyone a great rest of the school year.
School Board Chair and Member Sam Fisher represents District 1.