Lee County School Board

Lee School Board gains new member

The Lee County School Board met recently to discuss updates to a document that's stirring up conversation: the district's Civil Rights and Equity Guide.

Amendment 1 proposes making school board elections partisan starting in 2026. Candidates would have to be nominated in partisan primary elections with each of the parties' nominees going against each other in the general election.

Christopher Bernier, who resigned in April ahead of the end of his tenure as Lee County school superintendent, has been named superintendent of Duval County schools.

Lee County school board members learned their current superintendent, Christopher S. Bernier, wanted to end his reign over the past weekend. In spite of knowing his intentions to no longer serve in Lee County at least past this fall's election, they seemed stunned by the suddenness. They then turned again to Ken Savage. He had been interim superintendent prior to Bernier's appointment in 2022.

In a stunning turn of events, strict policy changes that would have banned a classroom banner with a "HATE HAS NO HOME HERE" message failed to pass by the school board.

Dr. Christopher S. Bernier, superintendent of Lee County Schools for the past nearly two years, on Thursday announced he will not enter the election to fill his position.

At the Lee County Board of Education's next meeting they will take up the question of what elementary schools the county's children go to, a decision that will change for nearly half of those students by virtue of something called the Proximity plan.

Here's a breakdown of school board races on the ballot in Southwest Florida for the Aug. 23 Primary Election.

Lee County Public Schools has a new Superintendent in Christopher Bernier, who took the oath of office on Monday to serve the district.