North Fort Myers Neighbor Living Magazine: The Pulse
It seems hard to believe, but we are already one-quarter of the way through the school year. First quarter report cards will be released through FOCUS on Oct. 19. I hope your student is off to a successful start.
As your District 4 School Board representative for the School District of Lee County, it is my pleasure to share with you some of news affecting the North Fort Myers community.
One of the big concerns every year is busing. I’m pleased to share that we are already seeing improvements because of the new proximity assignment zones for elementary schools. Bus routes are shorter and our on-time percentage is higher.
Middle school principals are reporting buses are running smoother than they have in years. While we’ve made progress, we still have a way to go, as elementary schools like Hancock Creek and Littleton are seeing delays due to their larger enrollment.
Our transportation department reviews routes every week and is continuously looking for ways to make improvements.
Middle school students should prepare for their new proximity zones. The School Board will review the attendance boundaries for the first time at noon on Wednesday, Oct 11. Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier will hold a town hall meeting about the proximity plan and his other priorities at Challenger Middle School on Monday, Oct. 30 at 5:30 p.m. I encourage you to attend.
The School District just received great news from the state. An award of $51 million will go towards District Hurricane Ian recovery funding. These funds will be distributed through the Legislative Appropriations Program, a pivotal component of the Framework for Freedom Budget. My thanks to the Governor and Legislature for this support.
In the year since the Hurricane, the District has made great strides in recovering from the damage done. The last permanent repair in our community will finish this month, when the roof project is completed at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts. NFMAA had all the drywall damaged by water intrusion replaced and repainted last month and covered walkways replaced in May. Permanent repairs at North Fort Myers High School, including roof work, flooring, windows and cabinets were completed before the start of school.
Our maintenance department continues to work on smaller projects. J. Colin English has just two repairs remaining, Bayshore Elementary three, Tropic Isles six and Island Coast High School seven. All these types of projects are expected to be completed before the end of the year.
The School District’s Communications Department produced an amazing documentary about the impact of Hurricane Ian and our recovery. If you haven’t seen it, Hurricane Ian: A Lee Schools TV Documentary is available to watch on the District’s YouTube channel at YouTube.com/LeeSchoolsTV.
We are quickly approaching the five-year anniversary of the passage of the half-cent sales tax to support the construction, maintenance, safety and technology needs of our schools. Through your support, more than $22 million has gone to schools in North Fort Myers. We have replaced the roof and North Fort Myers High School, installed new flooring and air conditioning at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, increased the safety at J. Colin English, Littleton and Bayshore, and improved the buildings at Hancock Creek while adding Promethean Boards at Island Coast High School.
The half-cent sales tax is also being used to purchase the OPENGATE weapons detection system now in use at about half of our schools. This entry technology detects weapons and other contraband not allowed on campus. All our schools will have OPENGATE in place at their entrances by the end of the school year. We remain dedicated to keeping our students and staff safe and secure so that they can focus on learning. To keep us with Sales Tax projects, visit our website at leeschools.net.
Debbie Jordan
Lee County School Board
District 4
This column will appear in the next issue of the North Fort Myers Neighbor Living magazine, available at locations throughout North Fort Myers.