OPINIONS

Stringfellow Road, Ste 60 Bokeelia, FL 33922 Phone: (239) 283-2022 Fax: (239) 283-0232

Publisher Raymond M Eckenrode reckenrode@breezenewspapers com

Executive Editor Valarie Harring vharring@breezenewspapers com

Editor Paulette LeBlanc pleblanc@breezenewspapers com

Advertising Director Laurie Ragle lragle@ breezenewspapers com

Advertising Sales Charlene Russ cruss@breezenewspapers com

Design & Layout Chris Strine cstrine@breezenewspapers com Obituaries Debbie Carletti obits@breezenewspapers com

Student School Assignment is changing for the 2023-24 school year a very important message especially for parents/ guardians of elementary school students.

O n F e b 7 , 2 0 2 3 , t h e S c h o o l B o a r d approved the Superintendent’s recommendation to adopt the 2023-24 Student Enrollment Plan The new plan represents a significant change from previous plans built on a primary zone and subzone model

Why?

The previous plan has become unwieldy and inefficient It was implemented in 2005 w h e n t h e D i s t r i c t h a d 6 8 , 0 0 0 s t u d e n t s Today, we enroll nearly 100,000 students and continue to grow The 2023-24 Student Enrollment Plan and future enrollment plans will be based on a proximity zone model intended to reduce the size of attendance zones and decrease the number and length of bus routes

The new Proximity Plan will be used for enrollment of ALL elementary students In the new attendance zones, families will be able to choose from between three to six elementary schools, with the exception of the Barrier Islands You can view a map of the proximity zones and use the interactive tool to search by a d d r e s s o n t h e S c h o o l District’s website. Who is affected?

■ All incoming kindergarten students are required to enroll in a school in their proximity zone Transportation is provided if they live more than two m i l e s f r o m t h e s c h o o l Incoming kindergartners may select an out-of-zone school if a n o l d e r s i b l i n g i s a l r e a d y e n r o l l e d , b u t t r a n s p o r t a t i o n will not be provided

■ Students new the district will be assigned an elementary school according to the proxi m i t y z o n e i n w h i c h t h e y reside

■ Rising students (grades one through five) who live outside their new attendance zone will be given the opportunity to enroll in a new school within their new zone; if eligible, bus transpiration will be available to their new school Rising students living out- s i d e t h e i r n e w a t t e n d a n c e zone and wishing to continue to attend their current school may do so but they must provide their own transportation

Who is not affected?

R i s i n g K - 5 e l e m e n t a r y s t u d e n t s w h o r e s i d e i n s i d e t h e i r n e w a t t e n d a n c e z o n e and want to stay in their curr e n t s c h o o l a r e u n a f f e c t e d and will continue to receive transportation if eligible All middle and high school students are unaffected by the new proximity plan in 20232 4 . T h e y c o n t i n u e t o b e e n r o l l e d a c c o r d i n g t o t h e three primary zones and subzone model

How will students be enrolled?

Families participating in the Proximity Plan (incoming kindergarten students, elementary students new to the District and those enrolled in schools outside their new

The Eagle is published every Wednesday

Web Poll

Previous Web Poll Question:

Should a used car lot be permitted on the old chamber office site on Pine Island Road?

■ Yes

■ No

■ No comment.

Current Web Poll Question:

Should a used car lot be permitted on

Veterans assistance at the Beacon of Hope March 3

To the editor:

More vets are calling the Beacon of Hope for help with our community-based program helping local veterans navigate the VA system for possible benefits Look to us on appointment days if you're a veteran who seeks help with understanding eligibility, guidance and assistance This is accomplished by meeting with a Veteran Service Officer and a local volunteer veteran We will help you through the sometimes-cumbersome system

We can help you, as an honorably discharged service man or woman, learn the details for which you would never ask or ever think of

Some of the most common requests for medical help are regarding eligibility for and enrollment in VA healthcare If eligible for VA healthcare, you can benefit in several ways Benefits include direct mental healthcare or access to VA resources and services that can support the care that you need in the community The first step is finding out if you are eligible From there you can find additional resources that can support the care that is provided (for example, group treatments, specialty care, housing resources)

Generally, if someone has served 24 consecutive months of active duty service in the military and separated under conditions other than dishonorable, they may be eligible In some cases eligibility may be based on income

Determining the eligibility status and possible co-payment information for a veteran can be complicated Because of this we strongly encourage you to apply for enrollment even if you feel you may not be eligible

The most often sought-after benefit in the VA is for hearing loss It is also the number one benefit paid to veterans by our government Hearing loss is a direct result of being in the proverbial right place at the wrong time without hearing protection This is, in many cases, a wartime disability and is now a prominent factor in complicating our veterans' daily quality of life Testing, treatment and hearing aids can be supplied by the VA if y o u h a v e a n i n - s e r v i c e r e l a t e d p r oblem. Getting tested by an audiologist is a start

Please schedule an appointment with us on the morning of March 3, between 9 a m and 12:30 p m to discuss any benefits for which you may be eligible

James L. Garnett USAF Veteran

Show some love and suppor t

To the editor:

Many readers of the Pine Island Eagle may have wondered what happened to Skip Elliot Bowman, who played steel pan calypso and most other styles of music for the past 11 years at Bert’s Bar

He recently married and they lost their home, his job at Bert’s and most of their possessions in Hurricane Ian Last week he began playing again at the Jungle Bird Tiki in Cape Coral He would love to see you all, when he plays at that restaurant Call ahead to check his schedule

There is a go-fund-me page in his new wife’s name, Mel Bowman, to help them, as they recover

Skip has been so good for Pine Island and has always been warm, friendly, and funny to all who went to Bert’s for lunch or dinner He also took requests for all types of music and liked to recognize birthdays and anniversaries He is a talented steel pan musician His wife is a teacher and sings in the Fort Myers Symphonic Mastersingers

Skip has been supportive of our families and community Now we have the opportunity to give him some love and support back and celebrate our efforts at Pine Island recovery Nancy McGuire and John Geib St James City