[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6143074,"mediaKeyId","5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf","parentId",5536121,"title","District Advisory Committee to focus on parent engagement, teacher retention and code of conduct this year","audioSeconds",115,"startMs",8220000,"endMs",8335000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf&start=8220&end=8335","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf/thumbnail_8220000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6143074/Lee/School-Districts/Florida/District-Advisory-Committee-to-focus-on-parent-engagement-teacher-retention-and-code-of-conduct-this-year","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143074-1c87c5505260ca9c370b4b27529a7787/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140638&Signature=g5QDPZLqS-i50Wy7QzCS6XlN2BRfagic6Mal8NF5foYJlDKrCjVNpw8twU46i0UZ6WjJT7eBE19TQ5oZnYwFxAUc24e-2Ptxc9oHn0uG11--BLRpXFKRKpJDfalJmve3xFfP8-lskOyG2EQD33kZwlvqv2c-sCEB~ZBGkTIVhiKreep~S0ilNiDr96YM~q3zT0Rs71QuEbxTEkJPY6u8bSgFYD6Nbs1PxompI9bISE4FhamvgvPXFMl7r-FiiepINFECuHFkK1OKyLjBQCCKZcanz-z445QFxFPQIJHJ105m168ut1xzf0HpG9~sFCJrljtN26YnS9jNgRmHOThGnA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Lee County School District","date","2025-08-06T15:55:43.763Z","article","Deputy chief strategy officer Dr. Cupid McCoy presented the Lee County School District’s 2025‑26 District Advisory Committee (DAC) plan on Aug. 5, outlining three focus topics and meeting logistics.

The DAC will meet virtually via Microsoft Teams and the first meeting is scheduled for Sept. 17 from 6 to 7 p.m. The agenda for the initial meeting includes an overview of the committee’s purpose, selection of chair and vice chair, ratification of meeting dates and platform, and the selection of three members for the district transportation committee (one representative each from elementary, middle and high school levels). The first half‑year topics are parent engagement (September) — including continued work from the parent engagement task force and strategy division support; retention and Project Thrive (November) in partnership with human resources; and the student code of conduct (January, with academic services facilitating).

Dr. McCoy said the DAC provides a forum for community members to serve as “thought partners” on the three topics and for principals to designate primary and alternate DAC representatives from each school. Board members asked for clarification about how site‑selection and other committees are formed and Dr. McCoy said staff would confirm and return with policy references on member selection.

Ending: DAC staff will publish the Sept. 17 agenda and meeting logistics and will return to the board with clarifications about school representative selection and site‑selection committee membership.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","School Board Workshop: August 5, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The district will convene quarterly District Advisory Committee meetings starting Sept. 17 (virtual, 6–7 p.m.) to discuss parent engagement, Project Thrive retention efforts and the student code of conduct; the DAC will also select representatives for the transportation committee and finalize meeting dates and rules.","taxTitle","Lee, School Districts, Florida","taxId",14346,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143079,"Police activity at schools falls from 2023 to 2024, district says; weapon incidents decreased by half",152,7645000,7797000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf&start=7645&end=7797","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf/thumbnail_7645000.jpg","/articles/6143079/Lee/School-Districts/Florida/Police-activity-at-schools-falls-from-2023-to-2024-district-says-weapon-incidents-decreased-by-half","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143079-b5703f586e7c41b3f1864f5855d17136/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140638&Signature=P2ObjY98kf5P8zxsXWCxMPBkfbCbbUCaEx3MO8k6u~coLBc67s~GuUxm9dKspiacB0J3iUkuvPZTW7ASYB7juSmWl-f3YwrDnM2PP070PiH8ON3rNYTeL1yGn6cYnLpzKKCkEexJqsvRIf5gmM3DkSZ~OHdOqz0wJBPG5yE3JvmaC7Zj0VhSl5o9iSG292kfV5xI1WJ4Dbuj5E7A1kGIIhg1z5d3IV5y0~hf4v~6Op1SmwQ5et1PkyaUcF1bVMc90tKPAAQwPZBwpWBPdzkH~8eANWTBSW-SWfeuHYzsO8hZhk9lG3V4AmVl8-NuMju-85z3-OaGOPADAH-AbTrTsw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dave Newland, the district’s chief of safety, security and fleet operations, presented a summer safety update to the Lee County School Board on Aug. 5 that included a year‑to‑year comparison of police activity at schools.

Newland reported that combined incidents (arrests, civil citations and notes to appear) across partnering agencies decreased in 2024 when compared with 2023. For the district overall, he said the combination of those incident types totaled 934 in 2024, a 27% decline from the comparable 2023 period. For the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the district reported a 19% decrease, while Fort Myers Police Department had a 9% decline and Cape Coral saw a 45% drop in the incidents the district tracks.

Newland cautioned that the data include lower‑level offenses such as tobacco violations, not only serious crimes, and he highlighted one notable finding: weapon charges reported to the district fell by about 50% from 2023 to 2024. \"That was I thought was a pretty big difference,\" he said.

The district attributed some of the declines to measures the schools have implemented and said it will continue to monitor both formal incident rates and perceptions of safety through surveys and ongoing reviews. Board members praised the implementation of Open Gate entry protocols and asked district staff to continue communication with families about the procedures for sporting and after‑hours events; Newland said staff are coordinating with law enforcement and athletics to develop consistent event safety measures.

Ending: The district will continue weekly monitoring at identified sites, track law‑enforcement activity across agencies and follow up with families and schools about event protocols and perceptions of safety as the school year begins.","The district reported a year‑to‑year drop in combined arrests, civil citations and notes‑to‑appear across major local law‑enforcement agencies after implementation of Open Gate measures; the district also reported a 50% drop in weapon‑related charges between the two years.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143084,"District outlines insurance shortfall and explores charter, third‑party and P3 options for Fort Myers Beach Elementary",234,2592000,2826000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf&start=2592&end=2826","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf/thumbnail_2592000.jpg","/articles/6143084/Lee/School-Districts/Florida/District-outlines-insurance-shortfall-and-explores-charter-thirdparty-and-P3-options-for-Fort-Myers-Beach-Elementary","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143084-1d5f774ff732c7d16e4f4b6417eb46f5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140638&Signature=Fjn3K-hdlLb8xOWP3sfJRGobxuyd4H6U5mwHiohX-3qHg4FROODdblBGYR5gm74Oy-0lMa~9QFxGKlHJE-Y6NfNEo1qD7LB6ZVjo3lnKDNP0DM6jfA4iDRQtQ9PjLcXLbfxsu5nTZsHjPyaio~AXz4trxy2p7mHzWvEu2QgBFr7ubWOtuwlzBVtM8zcFx1ly1xGfqAM5XTnsBjfHeZk25GoNg408mybZu7YOzLGaWLiHs3szv18YEQcDHw9RM3si0jOUdyXznXjcZjlFKA8FbJyM4j2XOrhDCdJzY8fV3fAJrfmbNOHSNiwDxnrHKNlstC3axdHpJZOaocF0hsYIWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Lee County School District officials updated the school board on Aug. 5 about the state of Fort Myers Beach Elementary, the district’s insurance recoveries and possible paths forward after repeated storm damage.

Deputy Superintendent Ken Savage and the district operations and risk teams said the district has spent roughly $975,000 on the Fort Myers Beach site since October 2024 for assessments, remediation and storage; about $700,000 of that went to facility assessments, remediation and moving and storage costs, and the district has purchased portable dehumidifiers and is performing weekly humidity checks. As of July 31, the district recorded 39 students enrolled at Fort Myers Beach Elementary across kindergarten through fifth grade.

Risk manager Warren Wilson summarized insurance recoveries and gaps. He reported large districtwide insurance receipts from multiple sources but noted a gap between those receipts and the rough order‑of‑magnitude estimated storm loss. \"The rough order of magnitude from the storm is north of $250,000,000,\" Wilson said, and he walked the board through the portion of proceeds that have been received and remaining disputes with FEMA on certain mitigation and conversion claims. For Fort Myers Beach specifically, Wilson said the post‑Ian rebuild cost for the historic building was about $6 million and the combined wind and flood insurance proceeds for that campus totaled roughly $6 million, leaving a large shortfall when compared with total damage estimates for the district.

Wilson explained insurance program details that affect recovery at that campus, including the $500,000 maximum per‑building flood policy limit available from FEMA and that the district received only $414,000 under that flood policy for the Fort Myers Beach building. He also summarized state and federal items that the district has received and is pursuing, and he cautioned there are no guarantees about additional FEMA funding and that state loan funds (LAP) will need forgiveness consideration.

District staff said they have commissioned a state‑required advanced plant survey so the district and the State of Florida can formally compare the cost of renovating and modernizing the existing campus footprint versus replacing the facility with new construction; the state uses that survey to determine which options it will entertain financially. The district is pursuing that study to create a full set of state‑compliant options.

Savage also described nontraditional alternatives the district is exploring to reduce the fiscal burden on the district’s capital plan. Those include charter models (which can access Public Education Capital Outlay and other charter funding streams not directly available to school districts), public‑private partnerships and third‑party arrangements that can bring outside capital or management models. \"When you’re asked to pick between a rock and a hard place, sometimes the best thing to do is explore all the alternatives,\" he said.

Several public speakers from Fort Myers Beach urged faster action and said they want a school on the island; speakers including Mayor Dan Allers and local residents also provided tax‑revenue figures and urged the board to consider solutions that will restore island schooling. No final decision was made; the district will submit the state advanced plant survey, continue talks with municipal partners and pursue private‑partner conversations in parallel.

Ending: District staff said they will maintain the Fort Myers Beach site while the advanced plant survey proceeds and will report back with the formal state survey results and fiscal analyses. Officials said a key goal is to avoid repeated rebuild costs after future storms by identifying a sustainable, fiscally responsible option.","District officials reported ongoing maintenance costs and limited insurance recoveries for Fort Myers Beach Elementary, described enrollment (39 students), and said they are pursuing a state planning survey and exploring charter and public‑private partnership options to avoid repeating storm‑damage rebuild cycles.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143088,"Board and conflict counsel outline sticking points in contract talks for school board attorney",294,2515000,2809000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf&start=2515&end=2809","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf/thumbnail_2515000.jpg","/articles/6143088/Lee/School-Districts/Florida/Board-and-conflict-counsel-outline-sticking-points-in-contract-talks-for-school-board-attorney","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143088-10d8bd04eb9a2a7eaa26627926e6e21a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140638&Signature=FUmihWdgavcjevs9JudkYy9wdNGz5bSLdVToY2wT6POiHjmoy3KF53-~GoheAFXzgfS~8~~tZa7yMwE2SZhjlxYUV8AdRxVZC3blldYYBcnim15kdQT2JizHt2eRQG68dOEQl3GYocmfF3xe0s~IV6jEPUVFPU-Z1zG41A3pGIz-LpJAX20GGZMoid99-80AtLWtOtbGuXmT3t2SdihQ2UrFxsJ8rU1IyY2OfL720ka4511yF~7gDrEmTegU~pmk9RaqO060iwd4B8Gj0-nf~sdJxgak4rUClXAhKrlnT7uJRPKFXFQ5af6I5kqSy5thoXjkyysvhj8fGVmCKvwIuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Conflict counsel John Quick told the Lee County School Board on Aug. 5 that negotiations to amend the contract of the board attorney have stalled over seven disputed items and that the board did not yet have a path to the four votes required for an amended contract.

Quick summarized the seven elements he identified during confidential talks with board members: the legal‑structure language that delineates the board attorney and an assistant school board attorney; provisions governing outside speaking, teaching or consulting engagements and whether those require pre‑approval; the termination clause and the board vote threshold required for termination; whether the contract should automatically renew if no new contract is agreed by a deadline; salary issues including a proposed base increase and whether raises should track administrative staff; and severance language in the event of termination without cause. \"It's like a jigsaw puzzle trying to get the pieces to put together,\" Quick said, describing divergent positions among board members.

Quick told the board Florida law limits severance for public employees, and he said the statutory maximum for severance in this context is 20 weeks. He said the board attorney has asked for a definitive 20‑week severance if the board reduces the termination threshold to a simple majority; alternatively she would accept an \"up to 20 weeks\" severance if the board keeps a supermajority termination threshold.

Board members debated multiple related terms at length. Positions on the auto‑renewal clause — which causes the contract to renew automatically if no new agreement is reached by a deadline — were split: some members said automatic renewal is common in Florida and used in other districts; others said an auto‑renew weakens board accountability and reduces incentives to complete negotiations in a timely way.

On compensation, Quick said the proposed new base salary in the draft was $212,000 and that Kathy (the board attorney) had sought retroactive pay to April 27, 2025. Superintendent Denise Carlin provided the board an estimate of the district fiscal impact to implement the proposed salary and benefit changes: she reported a total near $233,948 for salary adjustments, leave payout and retirement/Social Security impacts and a larger total if senior management classification, health and life insurance were added. The superintendent’s office later provided an alternate total that included other staffing class changes; the board asked staff to verify the final fiscal figures before any vote.

No motion was made or vote taken during the workshop. Quick offered language to clarify the relationship between the board attorney and any chief staff attorney retained to advise the superintendent: he proposed wording that would identify the board attorney as counsel to the board and the district and would acknowledge a superintendent‑retained chief staff attorney who advises the superintendent on official responsibilities.

Board members agreed to continue discussion and many signaled preferences: some favored keeping the supermajority termination requirement and using an \"up to 20‑week\" severance provision; others said they would accept a simple majority in exchange for a guaranteed 20‑week severance. Several members asked that the item remain on the evening action agenda for discussion and asked staff to provide clear redlines and the fiscal impact before any final vote.

Ending: Conflict counsel offered to continue negotiations and to prepare a clear redline reflecting board direction. Board members asked staff to circulate corrected fiscal numbers and to place the item on the evening agenda for further discussion or decision.","Conflict counsel reported seven sticking points — legal structure, outside engagements, termination threshold, auto‑renewal, salary increases, retroactive pay and severance — and the board debated whether to require a supermajority to terminate and whether to include an auto‑renew provision and guaranteed severance.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6143093,"Internal auditors find gaps in district special-education documentation; recommend handbook, KPIs and training",134,412000,546000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf&start=412&end=546","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5536121-afd6aa109707c6b89ecdbfb4f0ca4caf/thumbnail_412000.jpg","/articles/6143093/Lee/School-Districts/Florida/Internal-auditors-find-gaps-in-district-special-education-documentation-recommend-handbook-KPIs-and-training","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6143093-61b1fb3096bb50930f2651ac619e09a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140638&Signature=ngxB4cCovm2n0Xgr7C-YhX6vGspS0iwsQ7EnKD4WaP3w3-PslojZmvYKbXyRl-0MmXHqfpszRR7beXicRPlGdCnerKD3feCc-UxdTfu-EiJ5HSPsUSCNVIWxIm2DizS~jWoyIMp~dkOt7VpGkTsPS0czgHejAeydaVz1zEoo8Q7oRD2xeAKy96IwidMMTDLQmo~xtghinkz4RVf~MYf~nUyCAlOVFVMWgbyhEEWZ2wW2EERrFtWk69P1uNKVVjYru6NGvKQ~1nRsQJkGdgCLQ47MlWxQlyQOswDRRZz05laTz5Svs-eYj8d0rjre-wa2VqeLH730Vt8BTwrqJMVxfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Matt Blondell, director of internal audit for RSM, and audit team member Weiss Campbell presented results of the firm’s review of the district’s Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services and the firm’s proposed fiscal-year 2026 audit plan to the Lee County School Board on Aug. 5. RSM said the ESE review focused on regulatory compliance and the IEP (individualized education program) development and implementation process.

The audit team said it tested 40 IEPs and more than 400 services and accommodations and found three recurring exceptions: one IEP lacked documented parental participation or a parent-decline record; auditors could not substantiate the delivery of about 76% of the sampled services and accommodations; and 11 of 36 IEPs that required progress reporting had not uploaded those reports to the state tracking system. \"We did identify 2 high risk observations,\" Campbell said during the presentation, adding that the district lacked consistent documentation and a unified oversight framework.

The audit team recommended steps to remediate those gaps. Management’s written response, discussed during the workshop, includes creation of a handbook that \"outlines expectations and explicitly defines criteria relating to the most common services and accommodations that should be documented and how those actions should be documented,\" targeted staff training on roles and responsibilities, development of standard operating procedures and a unified organizational chart, quarterly sampling audits where resources permit, and development of KPIs to monitor performance.

RSM also reported results from its follow‑up testing across older audits: auditors said there were 38 original observations across eight prior reports, more than half of which have been closed, with 13 items in progress and five not yet ready for re‑testing. RSM proposed that follow‑up testing be reported quarterly going forward to improve accountability.

Looking ahead, RSM presented a proposed fiscal‑year 2026 audit plan focused on: a sensitive data protection (IT) project that will examine student information and ERP systems (PeopleSoft) for access controls, encryption and segregation of duties; a budgeting audit covering development, monitoring, reporting and budget modifications; a contract‑administration review of up to five high‑risk contracts to test vendor monitoring and invoice approval; and continued follow‑up testing on open audit items. \"Follow‑up testing this year will be pretty significant,\" Blondell said, identifying 10 audits and 26 open observations that would be followed in FY26.

Board members asked for regular updates and for the district to return with concrete plans on ESE changes. Superintendent Denise Carlin said she has tapped executive staff to ensure management implements the audit recommendations and agreed to bring progress reports back to the board. \"That’s who will be ultimately responsible for ensuring the completion of the actions provided for you,\" she said.

The audit presentation did not propose new policy changes for board approval; it recommended management actions and an audit schedule for the coming year. The board asked RSM to prepare a statement of work for the proposed FY26 audits and indicated it expects follow‑up updates in the fall.

Ending: RSM will convert the proposed FY26 plan into a formal statement of work for the board and said it will report on follow‑up testing on a quarterly basis to the audit committee and the board. The district pledged to return with progress reports that will show how the handbook, training and monitoring changes are being implemented.","RSM auditors told the Lee County School Board that a review of 40 IEPs showed missing parental participation records, widespread undocumented services and incomplete progress reporting; auditors recommended a handbook, KPIs, quarterly sampling and targeted training, and proposed IT, budgeting and contract audits for fiscal 2026.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District Advisory Committee to focus on parent engagement, teacher retention and code of conduct this year

Police activity at schools falls from 2023 to 2024, district says; weapon incidents decreased by half

District outlines insurance shortfall and explores charter, third‑party and P3 options for Fort Myers Beach Elementary

Board and conflict counsel outline sticking points in contract talks for school board attorney

Internal auditors find gaps in district special-education documentation; recommend handbook, KPIs and training