Education Notes
Free breakfast, lunch at all public schools
The School District of Lee County reported that breakfast and lunch will be free of charge at all 79 traditional Lee County public schools for the 2019-2020 school year.
It will be the second school year both meals will be provided to all students through the Food and Nutrition Services Department Community Eligibility Program.
Four special centers – Buckingham Exceptional Center, L.A.M.P., Royal Palm Exceptional School and Success Academy – are also included in the CEP breakfast and lunch program.
Parents do not need to apply and “Free and Reduced” meal applications will not need to be completed or processed for the benefit. The meals will simply be available to students in their school cafeteria.
The Community Eligibility Provision is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.
Education Notes
Sales of old computers to benefit teacher salaries
The School District of Lee County recently raised more than $782,000 for teacher and support personnel salaries through the sale and recycling of outdated technology.
A 20-member team spent the month of June preparing student Chromebooks and other computers for their safe disposal. The team finished its work this summer in a record amount of time and raised a record amount of money.
Many of the district’s retired IT assets are sold to the public through a governmentally focused auction site called GovDeals at www.leeschools.net/district_services/auctions. Others are sold directly to R2 certified recyclers that dispose of obsolete technology in an environmentally friendly and responsible manner.
In four years, Information Services has collected $1.84 million selling old technology. The money is entirely designated for the Teachers Association of Lee County and the Support Personnel Association of Lee County compensation.
In addition, the district hired 19 student interns to help with the processing. Three have since taken full-time jobs with the district in various technology roles. Sixteen interns have been hired into full-time employment over the last four years, saving the district time and money recruiting for those positions.