Board Notes

School Board Notes
Action Meeting - June 3, 2025

Recognitions

The Board recognized:

• Fort Myers High School senior Nick Bloomston, Boys Class 2A Weightlifting State Champion in the 139 pound weight class Olympic category.
• Gateway High School senior V’Davrielle Johnson, Girls Class 4A State Champion in the High Jump.
• Ida S. Baker High School senior Mike Luma, Boys Class 4A State Champion in the Triple Jump.
• Hailey Crottteau from Pinewoods Elementary for winning Best of Show and First Place at the Florida Invention Convention. Nishini Fernando from Dunbar High School and Dhruva Sharma From Fort Myers High School for their first place awards, and Sharma for also earning Best Prototype. Gabriel Cintron and Tanish Madhar from Fort Myers High School and Celia Alvarez and Alana Mena from Gateway Charter High School for winning Third Place awards.
• Julia Johansson, Third Grade Teacher at Caloosa Elementary, as the 2024–2025 New Teacher of the Year. Janai Frohmann from North Fort Myers High School, Carly Krummel from Spring Creek Elementary School and Tea Lavigne from Sunshine Elementary School as the regional finalists for New Teacher of the Year.
• Susan Barnes, Global Perspectives Teacher at Lexington Middle School, as the 2024–2025 APPLES Mentor of the Year. Laurel Blackburn from Gulf Middle School, Nancy Rossi from Gateway Elementary School, and Stephanie Liljegren from River Hall Elementary School as the regional finalists for APPLES Mentor of the Year.
• Dr. Ashley Sheplak, Peer Collaborative Teacher at Manatee Elementary, for earning Marzano High Reliability Teachers Levels 1 and 2 certification and the following teachers for earning High Reliability Teacher Level 1 Certification:
  Alicia Frank, Third Grade Teacher, Allen Park Elementary
  Christopher Morales, Biology Teacher, Fort Myers High
  Dawn Cioffoletti, Social Studies Teacher, Lehigh Senior High School
  Andrina Dennison, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Lemuel Teal Middle
  Anita Ramos, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Lemuel Teal Middle
  Heather Garlick, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Harns Marsh Elementary
  Amanda Biros, Literacy Coach, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
  Carla Tennant, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
  Julie Tompkins, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
  Suzanne Garrett, Peer Collaborative Teacher, Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
• The School District of Lee County for being honored as a 2024 Cognia Schools and Systems of Distinction.

Consent Action Items

The School Board approved:

• A resolution establishing salary incentives for teachers relating to low-performing/low-achieving schools and critical subject areas.
• Contracts with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Cape Coral Police Department, Fort Myers Police Department, and Sanibel Police Department to provide School Resource Officers at our schools, special centers, and central office.
• Service agreements related to Exceptional Student Services to provide occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech and/or language therapy, orientation and mobility, vision services, sign language interpreting, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing, and nursing services to identified students with disabilities in accordance with their Individual Education Plans.
• An agreement with the Air & Space Forces Association and Florida SouthWestern State College to operate summer camps for Lee County School District students in grades 6 through 12.
• Early Head Start - Child Care Partnership Contracts with Open Doors Preschool of Lehigh, Inc., Open Doors Preschool of Cape Coral, L.L.C., and Child Care Centers of Southwest Florida dba P.A. Geraci Child Development Center to provide access to high-quality, full day, full year child care for low-income working families.
• High school graduation dates for the 2025-2026 school year of:
  Thursday, May 28, 2026
  Friday, May 29, 2026
  Saturday, May 30, 2026
  Sunday, May 31, 2026
  Monday, June 1, 2026
• The Annual Agreement with the Donna A. Beasley Tri-County Apprenticeship Academy, Inc.
• The Partnership Agreement with Acceleration Academies, LLC to provide a community based alternative education program for eligible students.
• Employee reappointments for the 2025-2026 school year.
• An agreement with Florida Gulf Coast University for the School Support Personnel to Teacher Pathway Agreement.
• Funding to provide specialty Diet Food. Products include a variety of foods that are gluten-free, dairy-free and nut free to continue serving students with food allergies.
• The Phase 2 Total Project Cost Estimate of $40,294,667 for the Bonita Springs Elementary School Demolition, Rebuild, Renovation, and Remodel.
• Grant funding from the Collaboratory to support schools with Environmental Education and School Gardens for the 2025-2026 school year.
• The Annual Fire Safety, Casualty Safety, and Sanitation Inspections for the FY25 school year, as required by the State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF).
• A Charter Contract with Charter School Organization IV, Inc., dba Capstone Academy Charter School. The school will serve grades K-8 for a 5-year term from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2031.

Administrative Appointments

• Holly Mathews, Deputy Chief of Staff
• Padraic Way, Executive Director, Information Technology Operations
• Jose Cuevas, Senior Director, Enterprise Data Systems
• Rachel Gould, Senior Director, Student Services
• Ron Iarussi, Senior Director, Employee Relations
• Kelly Stedman, Senior Director, School Transformation and Sustainability
• Lisa Bage, Director, Strategic Planning and Portfolio Management
• Lori Brooks, Director, Physical and Mental Health Services
• David Larosa, Director, Arts, Athletics, Activities, and Administration
• Kellen Letcher, Director, Budget and Grants
• Brian Mangan, Director, Adult, Career, and Applied Curriculum Education
• Suzette Rivera, Director, Human Capital Operations
• Rebecca Savage, Director, Organizational Development and Retention
• Rob Spicker, Director, Communications, Marketing, and Public Relations
• Warren Wilson, Director, Risk Management and Internal Compliance
• Rob Cooper, Regional Director, Academic and Student Services
• Roger Lloyd, Regional Director, Academic and Student Services
• Tammy Scott, Regional Director, Academic and Student Services
• Richard Aviles, Deputy Director, Enterprise Data Systems
• Kenneth Schwartz, Deputy Director, Information and Technology Operations
• James Short, Deputy Director, Information and Security Compliance
• Tracy Adams, Assistant Director, Procurement
• Barbara Cedeno, Assistant Director, Capital Maintenance
• Matthew Chesser, Assistant Director, Grants
• Wildaliz Colon, Assistant Director, Physical and Mental Health Services
• Megan DeRosso, Assistant Director, Core Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Jarrett Eady, Assistant Director, Strategic Engagement and Community Partnerships
• Michael Gatewood, Assistant Director, Risk Management and Internal Compliance
• Mary Hamner, Assistant Director, Organizational Development and Retention
• Michael Harris, Assistant Director, Professional Standards
• Ligena Hein, Assistant Director, Benefits and Wellness
• Danielle Jenson, Assistant Director, Financial Accounting
• Riley Kempton, Assistant Director, Media Relations and Public Information
• Amanda Mason, Assistant Director, Talent Acquisition
• Adam Molloy, Assistant Director, Capital Planning
• Soretta Ralph, Assistant Director, Office of School Choice
• Darlyn Scott, Assistant Director, Human Resources Operations
• Sohira Sarmiento, Assistant Director, ESOL
• Jason Thomashefsky, Assistant Director, Arts, Athletics, and Activities
• Melissa Ziemer, Assistant Director, Core Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
• Matthew Acosta, Senior Coordinator, Budget
• Tonia Beams, Senior Coordinator, Human Resource Operations
• Chad Caldwell, Senior Coordinator, Capital Maintenance
• Amy Clark, Senior Coordinator, Physical and Mental Health Services
• Leta Dietz Smith, Senior Coordinator, Grants
• Kari Hardman, Senior Coordinator, Organizational Recruitment and Retention
• Jeanette Ingersoll, Senior Coordinator, Financial Accounting
• Lisette Sargent, Senior Coordinator, Physical and Mental Health Services
• Kristin Stevens, Senior Coordinator, Graduation
• Kristen Thompson, Senior Coordinator, Compensation
• Terri Kinsey, Coordinator, Resource Development
• Joelle McLaughlin, Coordinator, Organizational Development and Retention
• Dana Philpott, Coordinator, Organizational Development and Retention
• Kindra Pinnace, Coordinator, Organizational Development and Retention
• Jaelyn Quintero, Coordinator, Organizational Development and Retention
• Jessica Reimer, Coordinator, Communications and Marketing
• Jessica Duncan, Principal, Gulf Elementary
• Melissa Layner, Principal, Lemuel Teal Middle School
• Joseph Restino, Principal, Success Academy
• Monica Urrely, Principal, Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts
• Kristine Calcara, Interim Administrator, Manatee Elementary
• Natalee Barrs, Assistant Principal, East Lee County High School
• Tania Florian, Assistant Principal, Lehigh Elementary
• Casey Harding, Assistant Principal, Sunshine Elementary
• Tammy Labelle, Assistant Principal, Young Parent Education Program
• Matthew Matera, Assistant Principal, Lehigh Acres Middle School
• Steven Thorpe, Assistant Principal, Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts
• Jeannette Walsh, Assistant Principal, Fort Myers Middle School

Board Policies

The Board adopted the following policies:

• 9701 - Trademark Licensing, Protection, and Use
• 5730 - Equal Access for Nondistrict-Sponsored Student Clubs and Activities
• 6146 - Post-Issuance Compliance for Tax-Exempt and Tax-Advantaged Obligations
• 8280 - Nursing Mothers
• 9701 - Trademark Licensing, Protection, and Use Administration of Short-Acting Bronchodilators and Components by Trained Personnel Head Start
• Eligibility, Recruitment, Selection and Enrollment

The Board revised the following policies:

• 0100 - Definitions
• 0115 - Equity in School Programs and Employment Practices
• 0131 - Legislative/Policymaking
• 0131.1 - Technical Corrections
• 0143.1 - Residence Areas
• 0154 - Motions
• 0155 - Committees
• 0162 - Quorum
• 0163 - Presiding Officer
• 0164 - Notice of Meetings
• 0164.1 - Meeting Location and Board Member Participation
• 0165 - Meetings
• 0165.1 - Agendas
• 0165.2 - Regular Meetings
• 0165.3 - Special and Emergency Meetings
• 0166 - Exempt Meetings
• 0169.1 - Public Participation at Board Meetings
• 0173 - Evaluation of the Superintendent, School Board Attorney, and Board Auditor
• 1040 - Evaluation of the Superintendent, School Board Attorney, and Board Auditor
• 1129 - Conflict of Interest
• 1362 - Anti-Harassment
• 1410 - Administrative Salary
• 2120 - School Improvement
• 2125 - School Advisory Councils for School Improvement and Accountability
• 2260 - Nondiscrimination and Access to Equal Educational Opportunity
• 2266 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex in Education Programs and Activities Relating to Students
• 2280 - Physical Education
• 2455 - Dropout Prevention and Academic Intervention Programs
• 2520 - Selection and Adoption of Instructional Materials
• 2800 - Educational Services for Students in Department of Juvenile Justice Education Programs
• 3121 - Conditions for Employment and Re-Employment of Instructional Staff
• 3122 - Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity
• 3122.01 - Prohibition Against Disability Discrimination in Employment
• 3129 - Conflict of Interest
• 3362 - Anti-Harassment
• 3430.03 - Sick Leave
• 4122 - Nondiscrimination and Equal Employment Opportunity
• 4122.01 - Prohibition Against Disability Discrimination in Employment
• 4129 - Conflict of Interest
• 4362 - Anti-Harassment
• 4425 - Nursing Mothers
• 5112 - Entrance Requirements
• 5225 - Absences for Religious Holidays
• 5410.01 - Promotion, Acceleration, Placement, and Retention
• 5460 - Graduation Requirements
• 5463 - Credits From Other Schools
• 5465 - General Education Development (GED) Tests
• 5517 - Anti-Harassment
• 5780 - Student/Parent Rights
• 6110 - Grant Funds
• 6111 - Internal Controls
• 6112 - Cash Management of Grants
• 6114 - Cost Principles – Spending Federal Funds
• 6320 - Purchasing and Contracting for Commodities and Contractual Services
• 6550 - Travel and Per Diem
• 6835 - School Board Internal Audit Function
• 7101 - Building Permits and the Code Enforcement Office
• 7110 - Student Accommodation
• 7240 - Site Acquisition
• 8405 - School Safety and Security
• 8406 - Reports of Suspicious Activity and Potential Threats to Schools
• 8407 - School Resource Officers
• 8420 - Emergency Management, Emergency Preparedness, and Emergency Response Agencies
• 8431 - Preparedness for Toxic Hazard and Asbestos Hazard
• 9140 - Citizens' Advisory Committees
• 9160.01 - Complaint Procedures Related to Alleged Discrimination Regarding Accessibility of District Facilities

Please note that this page is updated after every School Board Action Meeting. For past meeting minutes, agendas and for a complete list of actions taken at the June 3rd meeting visit the District’s BoardDocs page.

Our next action meeting is at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 29th at the Lee County Public Education Center. All meetings are live streamed and available to view at your convenience on the District’s YouTube channel.

Thank you.
The School Board of Lee County