Proximity: District urges parents to become informed

From page 1A showing up to school late and getting home late every day Next year it could be 10,000 because we are growing, Persons said

This plan offers the opportunity for rising elementary students to be grandfathered under the plan, meaning they would be allowed to remain at their school until they complete the highest grade offered

The district though would not provide transportation for students who stay at a school outside their new proximity zone

The plan provides the option to remain enrolled at their current school, but parents “must provide transportation if they live beyond new attendance zones ” The plan states that “students will only receive transportation for elementary schools within the residential choice proximity zone in which they reside

A concurrent window will be provided for those who wish to enter the new proximity lottery The plan states that the families who do not make an enrollment decision by the end of the lottery period will be automatically entered into the new proximity lottery so that school bus transportation will be available to them ”

There also is a sibling preference for those incoming kindergarten students who have a sibling already enrolled in an elementary school

In the current West Zone the elementary school proximity plan zones are:

A:

■ Hector Cafferata Jr

■ Patriot

■ Skyline

■ Trafalgar

B:

■ Caloosa

■ Diplomat

■ Hancock Creek

■ Littleton

■ Tropic Isles

C:

■ Bayshore

■ J Colin

■ North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts

F

■ Cape

■ Gulf

■ Pelican

Pine Island, The Sanibel School and Fort Myers Beach are each within their own proximity zone

The hard work just started by passing this proximity plan tonight, the hard work begins with communication, School District of Lee County Superintendent Dr Christopher Bernier said

The Student Enrollment Plan for 20232024 was passed unanimously

The proximity map reduces the number of elementary school choices from 12 to

Open Enrollment begins Monday

Open Enrollment for elementary schools starts Monday, Feb 13, and runs through Friday March 10

Elementary families are encouraged to determine what schools are in their new proximity zone through an interactive map at https://www leeschools net/our district/departments/academic services/student enrollment/elementary open enrollment Parents then must make a choice for their child:

■ Stay in their current school

■ Transportation will not be provided if the school is outside the proximity zone

■ Enter the student assignment lottery for a new school in their proximity zone

Students enrolled in a school in their proximity zone, who want to stay in that school, do not need to take action Students enrolled in a school outside their zone, who wish to stay in that school, must confirm their choice to provide transportation through their FOCUS Parent Portal Students who want or need to enter the assignment lottery for a school in their new zone must use their FOCUS Parent Portal to rank their choices

Families can create a FOCUS Parent Portal or log into their existing one at https://www leeschools net/our schools/focus

Incoming kindergarten students should also use this open enrollment period to register for the 2023/2024 school year and/or rank their school choices for the assignment lottery through their FOCUS Parent Portal

Elementary school students transferring from charter or private schools or new to the District, must visit the Student Enrollment Office at 2855 Colonial Blvd in Fort Myers before March 10, to register for the student assignment lottery four, as well as reduces the scale of transportation by more than 100 square miles, on average In years two and three, middle school choices will be a goal as they will be aligned with proximity maps with the transportation moving to a three-tiered system, allowing for the ability to adjust high and middle school start and end times

Board member Melisa Giovannelli said it is time to rip off the bandage “I think that the only way people are going to listen (is when) they have to enroll their child and find out their options are going to be different, she said Parents aren’t going to pay attention until they have to If this plan doesn’t work I want everyone to contact every board member That is the only way we can make a difference and change

Board member Jada Langford-Fleming also supports the plan

“I do believe there are going to be some bumps in the road ” she said adding that there will need to be some tweaking along the way We don't know until we put this into plan

Board member Sam Fisher was also a supporter of the plan stating this is one of the biggest changes in decades for the school district

The board member shared that his son used to attend a school in the northeast Cape They then moved to a different part of Cape Coral and tried to transfer him but it was within the same Choice zone

We had him on the bus for 45 minutes, an hour, an hour and a half This model was not sustainable Frankly there is not another way to do it ” Fisher said “I know it may not be easy in the beginning but it is the right thing to do

Board concerns included communicating with parents, as many are still unaware of the proximity plan, the grandfathering clause and how that affects whether the child can continue to ride a school bus

I definitely want to make sure every parent knows and are well aware that there may be a huge change in their family and transportation issues could arise ”

Langford-Fleming said

Board member Debbie Jordan agreed

If I have to knock on doors I will be willing to knock on doors to make sure that information is getting out, she said

One of the greatest concerns during public comment rose from the North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts community

Lori Madl, the dance director at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts, said there are 200 students who have grown and have learned within the walls of the K-8 school who will be affected

“How will this affect the learning of students who want to stay, but may be uprooted because of a bus stop? she said Of course we will welcome any student in our doors but we really want to keep the culture we have at the school for the students we know love the arts

North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts Theater Director Kathy Rivadeneira said they enrich the lives of thousands of students through the arts She asked the board to make an amendment to allow for the important social economic diversity to continue by holding seats open for those outside of Zone C

Please don t allow students from only one area, one background, one income level to fill these spots leaving no room for the rich blend we currently have Think about what is right for all of our students ” she said Caleb Lowman, a past board member for the North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts Foundation said there will be the power of unintended consequences as a result of the plan Something that has taken more than 20 years to build can be destroyed very quickly the arts program as there could be more than 100 new incoming students to the school he said Lowman asked the board to open up the seats to the elementary school and allow it to have an audition process, so the school can attract children that are interested in the arts

“You are not going to be able to turn that back around and fix it The arts program that program is going to be heavily impacted You will have an influx of students that have no inclination of the arts whatsoever As you make this choice you are going to influx a bunch of students that don’t have this priority ” Lowman said

Bernier said North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts is a gem of a program and could be the diamond and crown of the School District of Lee County

“All schools should have a viable arts program Every child based upon where they go to school and where they are located in this community deserves an opportunity for fine arts, drama, music, orchestra to ensure a whole child is educated ” he said “We have to ensure each zone and each school has certain programs

Bernier also spoke about the community s question of turning North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts into a magnet program He said to him a magnet school is where kids from all of Lee County could choose to go

Our system is broken, Bernier said of transportation We need to do something different or 3 000 students that are late every day is going to increase ”

The district has to take the first step of the plan and see what transpires with those grandfathering students

We expect there could be an impact We may be solving an issue we don't have right now Each week we will have updates of the number of parents choosing to grandfather If it doesn t stabilize, we may have to come back to the board for an exception to the rule, Bernier said

Letters to the Editor:

From page 4A crime and education is marginal particularly after the pandemic when the blue states took classroom school away Many students did not have sufficient home support to keep their education going

It’s an oxymoron that people in blue states look at red Florida as paradise

Of equal importance is the protection from foreign aggression We are the target of every aggressive nation Nothing is more protective than strength One never attacks a dangerous stronger foe Technology in weapons is now beyond our imagination and our foes force us to stay ahead of them Is there waste in defense spending? Sure As much as in Medicare? Not even close Other government programs? Always major waste in government! Do Dems think spending money is the way to solve problems? Or is it to buy votes?

A current example buying votes is Biden s effort to pay off education loans That is terribly unfair for all those who have paid their way many who have worked their way through college It s a clear effort to take the responsibility away from those who have benefitted Of course the bloated universities bask in student loans Is this a round-about reward for the universities’ enormous support of Democrats?

In regard to Republicans being for the rich, note that 65% of all voters who earn a minimum of $500 000 vote Democratic! Then you look at some noted Dems and you see Pelosi worth $135 million Clintons worth $120 million, and Obama worth $70 million already That is a lot to accumulate on a government salary Do the Dems have billionaires? Gates Soros Buffet Zuckerberg and Bezos all support Dems Those five have close to $500 billion net worth That is 5 with 11 zeros

Accusing the Republicans of invading Social Security is another 1950 idea It was the Dems who first raided our Social Security bank for the War on Poverty that basically broke up the poor families but won their eternal vote

May I suggest to the lefties that they step out of the 1950s and update their rhetoric to current America and the now Dems a special interest money party John Benedict Cape Coral