Happy New Year!
2018 was a year of change, challenge, learning and accomplishments for The School District of Lee County. As we begin 2019, we celebrate our accomplishments and look forward to new opportunities, with focus on our Envision 2030 Strategic Plan. Our passion is student success through personalized education, increased family and community involvement, workforce preparation and progressive, continuous improvement.
During 2018:
The School District of Lee County achieved its highest graduation rate ever, at 82.6%.
The School District of Lee County and the Lee County NAACP signed an historic agreement designed to eliminate racial disparity and ensure success for all students.
Voters showed their support for our community and students by passing a half-cent sales tax increase to help the school district build new schools, maintain current facilities, upgrade technology, and ramp up security and technology. On December 11, 2018, the Board appointed an Independent Sales Surtax Oversight Committee to monitor expenditures of those dollars and their first meeting is January 31 at 6pm at the Lee County Public Education Center. We thank the community for supporting this effort!
School Safety has been a focus of the Florida Legislature following the Parkland tragedy. Increased security measures at all Lee County schools, including teacher training, single point of entry, video camera systems, an increased effort recognize threats and troubled behavior and school resource officers are just a sample of the work that continues.
Finally, as the New Year begins, people are making resolutions or setting goals having to do with health and wellness. Our District’s Employee Wellness Program has grown, with running teams, nutrition and weight loss programs and other challenges, which have resulted in better health.
Schools play a critical role in promoting the health and safety of young people and helping them establish lifelong healthy behaviors. Health Education addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of students.
Research indicates that school health programs reduce the prevalence of health risk behaviors such as tobacco use, poor nutrition, lack of physical activity, drug and alcohol use, as well as actions that increase stress, and risk of injury, and violence.
Health programs also have a positive effect on academic performance by removing barriers to learning. They also help us meet community needs by providing healthy, well-prepared members to the workforce – since in fact education is the economic driver for the community!
We are doing important work promoting health and wellness, supporting student success and improving community engagement. We invite all interested stakeholders to join us as we move into 2019.
Sincerely,
Mary Fischer
Mary Fischer
School Board Member, District 1