Lake County Schools officials told the school board on Aug. 11 that the district’s first day of the 2025–26 school year went smoothly and that recent fundraising and community drives exceeded expectations.

“Stepping Out exceeded our gross revenue goal of $154,543,” Dr. Elizabeth Johnson said, reporting that the district’s nineteenth annual Stepping Out for Education raised gross revenue of $154,543 with net revenue of more than $94,000 (that net figure does not include state matching dollars mentioned by the speaker). Johnson said the district’s Red for Ed school supply drive collected 5,724 pounds of supplies, up from about 2,700 pounds the previous year.

Johnson also reported details about Apple Mart, the district’s teacher shopping event: 41 teachers from 15 schools attended the new‑teacher shopping day, and the district distributed $6,956 worth of supplies — about $198 in savings per teacher on average, she said. The district has rolled out a new checkout platform for those supplies and plans additional family engagement and reading events this fall.

Other details Johnson provided: the Scott Strong Memorial Golf Tournament is scheduled for Oct. 10 at Harbor Hills (16 teams registered as of Aug. 1); the Renaissance Fair is scheduled for Nov. 7–9 with Education Day on Nov. 7; Take Stock in Children reported 14 new mentors, bringing its mentor pool to 100, and distributed $7,000 to four scholarship recipients.

Board members and staff praised the start of the school year and community partnerships. Assistant Superintendent Rob Feltner and community partners including Insight Credit Union, Addition Financial, the Hans and Kaye Jacobson Foundation, the Leesburg Area Chamber and Mount Dora service organizations were singled out for help with events and collection efforts. No board policy changes or funding allocations were made at the meeting in relation to these reports.

Board members described the first day as quiet with long pickup lines the primary challenge and said staff responsiveness and community support helped the launch run well.