Education Funding

Some people in an underprivileged area of Lee County have raised millions of dollars to build a vocational-technical school for adults. It would train people in medical, construction and culinary occupations that could provide better pay for people in need.

Three area residents -- Kae Moore, Sean Kempton and Jamie Merchant -- have been named to the Early Learning Coalition of Southwest Florida by Gov. DeSantis.

A state voucher program that began in the 2023-2024 school year is on pace to double in size — at least — as applications roll in from families who educate children at home and are seeking funds to make a range of purchases.What’s known as the Personalized Education Program provides voucher funds to students who are not enrolled full-time at public or private schools. The program was established through a 2023 law (HB 1) that massively expanded the state’s voucher programs.

The Biden Administration is trying to cancel more student debt, while Republican-led states — including Florida —are trying to stop him.

The School District of Lee County will receive $1.2 million as part of it's share of a $25 million state Workforce Development grant announced last week. The grant will allow the District to add or expand career programs that provide students the essential skills required for success in high-demand occupations.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced an investment of nearly $25 million from the Workforce Development Capitalization Incentive Grant Program to either create or expand 19 programs dedicated to strengthening workforce development across Florida.

In March of this year, Governor Ron DeSantis signed HB1 into law — expanding the voucher program and significantly increasing taxpayer funding for private schools. The new law eliminates the current financial eligibility restrictions and allows any student who is a resident of Florida and eligible to enroll in K-12 public schools to participate. The new universal voucher program is estimated to cost $4 billion in the first year of implementation alone, according to a cost analysis by Florida Policy Institute and the Education Law Center. We get some context on the new law, and the history of how vouchers work in Florida, with Dr. Norín Dollard, Senior Policy Analyst and KIDS COUNT Director at the Florida Policy Institute; and Damaris Allen, Executive director of Coral Gables-based Families for Strong Public Schools.

This election day, voters in Lee County are deciding whether to approve a proposed half-cent sales tax increase in order to help the school district keep…

On Tuesday, November 6 voters in Lee County will be asked to decide whether to raise the sales tax in the county by half a percent for 10 years. The…