Lee County School District

Lee School Board gains new member

Lee County is voters pick Denise Carlin as its new superintendent of schools

The school year begins with a major expansion of vouchers for parents to send their children to schools other than public ones. The Florida Policy Institute said the current state budget includes up to $3.9 billion for vouchers and the companies that manage the program. The candidates for Lee County School Superintendent said they believe vouchers make the public schools do better.

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.

Christopher S. Bernier has lead the 9th largest school district in the state since May 2022. Ken Savage is expected to take over as interim superintendent — again.

Steve Shimp, Chair of Lee County’s Independent Sales Surtax Oversight Committee, or ISSOC, recently gave an update on the half penny sales tax that was passed as a referendum in 2018. The half penny sales tax was meant to fund the acquisition, construction, renovation, equipping and financing of public school facilities and technology for ten years.

The Lee County School District is using a $1 million grant to keep track of students who take buses to school. The district is unveiling it card-scanning program, called Student Ridership. Most bus-riding students will get their cards this week, as classes begin on Thursday.

The School District of Lee County is hosting a virtual recruitment fair Monday to fill several positions for the 2023-24 school year, including staff for two new schools.From 2:00 to 3:30 p.m., the district will be seeking to fill 400 teacher positions, 80 of which will operate new locations in Lehigh Acres.

The random checkpoints are one of multiple security measures that have been conducted for most of the semester, county school officials and the Lee County Sheriff's Office confirmed.

Lee County School Board members unanimously approved the Proximity Plan Tuesday night. The program addresses the school transportation issues within the county for K-5 students.