Welcome back! Another school year is here, and after the year we just had, I have never been more excited to get started.

Can you believe we're already at the halfway point of summer? Crazy how time flies when you’re having fun. While the kids are still enjoying their break, now is the perfect time for families to get ahead of the back-to-school rush.

This year has been one of the most encouraging and energizing years we’ve seen in the School District of Lee County. As someone who lives and works in this community, I’ve watched our students, teachers, and families pour their hearts into learning—and the results show just how powerful that commitment can be.

Across Florida, school districts are confronting a new financial reality—one that requires difficult but necessary decisions to right-size budgets. Lee County is no exception, as we work to address a $47 million deficit while maintaining our commitment to students.

As a member of the School District of Lee County School Board, I have the privilege of seeing firsthand the incredible work taking place in our schools every day.

Following my previous update regarding our foundational literacy efforts in grades K-3, I want to turn our focus to an equally vital mission: the success of our secondary students.

I want to acknowledge that recent events involving student walkouts and protests concerning issues related to ICE and immigration policies have brought significant attention and emotion to our schools.

We've had a great start to the school year as we now enter the second half. I'm excited to share some major accomplishments.

Across Florida, many school districts are struggling to compete with the growing number of private, charter, and home education options available to families. But here in Lee County, our story is very different.

November gives us the perfect opportunity to pause and appreciate the students, families, educators, and community members who work together every day to make our schools exceptional.

We all want our kids to grow up loving books and feeling confident as readers. But did you know that the journey to strong reading skills starts way before preschool, and right at home?

As we step into September, it is hard to believe that another school year has begun. As your school board member, I want to take a moment to reflect on the first month of this exciting and sometimes challenging journey.