Lee schools gearing up for 2023-24

The school year is coming to an end Proms, plays, concerts, and award ceremonies are all in full swing, reminding us that summer break is just around the corner As the Class of 2023 prepares to walk across the graduation stage, I will be honored to stand alongside this tenacious group o f s t u d e n t s , c e l e b r a t i n g a l l t h e y h a v e a c c o m p l i s h e d . T e a c h e r s a n d s t a f f a r e organizing End-of-the-Year field trips and parties Parents and families are planning for summer school programs and vacations

The School District is preparing for the school year 2023-2024 with many moving parts to consider

Recently signed House Bill 1, contains a comprehensive package of innovations that promote parental involvement and customized K-12 education in Florida The legislation empowers parents to guide their children’s education by providing for an Education Savings Account for every student in the K-12 system Incorporating recommendations from the Florida Association of District School Superintendents, the bill also takes the first step towards reducing onerous and excessive regulations on public schools. Now law, HB 1 will further cement Florida’s position as the nation’s leader in school choice

Melisa W Giovannelli Guest Commentary

I want to thank all the teachers, bus drivers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and all professional support staff for all their h a r d w o r k I a l s o w a n t t o t h a n k D r Christopher Bernier as he approaches one year of service for his leadership Everyone worked so hard during these trying times and faced many obstacles: Hurricane Ian, staff shortages, sickness, and student struggles

I invite members of the community who wish to join our workforce to register for t h e u p c o m i n g S p r i n g 2 0 2 3 T a l e n t Recruitment Fair to be held at the Lee C o u n t y P u b l i c E d u c a t i o n C e n t e r o n Saturday, April 29 This event will provide candidates the opportunity to interact with on site Principals and Department hiring managers

A d d i t i o n a l l y , t h e S c h o o l D i s t r i c t i s p l e a s e d t o announce the results of the Elementary Level Student Enrollment Proximity Plan Families should log into their FOCUS accounts to see the latest student elementary school assignment information We ask for your continued patience and understanding as the work continues to accommodate students in settings that will foster his/her highest learning potential

HB 733, Middle School and High School Start Times, would change the earliest start time for middle and high schools, including charter schools, beginning July 1, 2026 No middle school could start before 8 a m , and no high school could start before 8:30 a m The Senate heard its version of the bill for the first time this week, and it was reported favorably by the Education Pre-K 12 Committee Fortunately, the bill has a three-year planning period built into it, which will allow each district to look at its operational needs and capacities, engage the local community, and ultimately share all of those local concerns with the Legislature for potential fixes before July 1, 2026

I am hopeful that the 2023 school year will bring about an increased sense of normalcy as our community continues its recovery efforts from Hurricane Ian

As an elected school board member, one of my duties is to listen to the community I pledge to continue to listen to all the parents, students, community members, and our staff Please know that your voice matters Everyone is valued, and know that I will continue to respect those whom I was elected to serve

Melisa W. Giovannelli, School Board Member, District 2

PHOTO PROVIDED

Florida Department of Financial Services holds insurance village

Approximately 20 insurance companies were represented at the DiamondHead Beach Resort this past week as part of an insurance village put together by the Florida Department of Financial Services Representatives from the National Flood Insurance Program and state officials were also in attendance to assist Fort Myers Beach residents, property owners and businessowners with their claims from Hurricane Ian

Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis visited the insurance village to talk with policyholders and help consumers connect with their insurance carriers following Hurricane Ian last year He was joined b y F l o r i d a I n s u r a n c e C o m m i s s i o n e r M i c h a e l Yaworsky and Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter

“We are committed to doing everything in our power to make these consumers whole and will continue working to ensure we do not lose sight of the policyholders who need our help,” Patronis said “The people of southwest Florida are still assessing the damage from Hurricane Ian and we want to do everything we can to ensure they can resolve any outstanding claims and move on. We will continue hosting these Insurance Villages as long as there is demand I want folks to know that we hear them, we are here for them, and we are ready to do whatever we need to so they can get back on their feet and start to rebuild ”

Town of Fort Myers Beach Vice Mayor Jim Atterholt was thankful to state officials for bringing the insurance village to Fort Myers Beach

“This is something I have been working on for some time with the Florida CFO and his staff to bring this to Fort Myers Beach,” Atterholt said Insurance Consumer Advocate Tasha Carter said there are still more than 143,000 open insurance claims in Florida since Hurricane Ian “Those claims represent consumers who haven’t been able to fully recover,” Carter said “Insurance Villages afford us the opportunity to provide in-person, one-on-one guidance and assistance to consumers and, most importantly, they receive direct claims payments to start or continue the recovery process This effective approach is impactful and significant to each consumer I’m grateful to CFO Patronis for his commitment to bringing help to consumers for as long it’s needed. We are and will continue to be here for Florida’s insurance consumers ”

After Hurricane Ian, the Division of Consumer Services deployed two Initial Payment Centers in Fort

CVS is planning to submit its plans to rebuild its store on Estero Boulevard with hopes to reopen by the end of the year