Priorities and Planning

School Board Priorities

At its April 16 work session, the Board reviewed its five priorities: academics, culture and climate, fiscal responsibility, human resources, and student conduct. Chair Kelly Mason emphasized that the Board Priorities, Strategic Plan, and Superintendent’s Evaluation work together to keep the Board focused and productive.

See the PowerPoint presentation here.

2026-27 Academic Calendar

In January, the Board unanimously approved the 2026–27 school calendar. Classes will start on August 11 and end on May 27, with seniors graduating before Memorial Day.

If necessary, future adjustments will be made to accommodate hurricane makeup days that are needed to meet state student attendance requirements.

See the school academic calendars here.

2024-25 Budget Update

On March 19, the Board received a mid-year update on the 2024–25 budget, which projects a $7.1 million shortfall due to reduced Federal Education Finance Program (FEFP) funding and increased costs. A District work group is examining cost-saving opportunities and reducing expenses where possible, and monthly budget analytics are in place.

Florida’s FEFP provides equalized per-student funding for school districts. The FEFP, based on enrollment and local/state revenues, is recalculated five times yearly for updated data.

See the March 19 Workshop PowerPoint here.

2025-26 Budget Planning

The Legislature has not yet passed next year’s budget, which will then be subject to the Governor’s line-item veto. But to meet future deadlines, the District’s budget planning cycle is underway. Under the current timeline, CCPS budget hearings are planned for July 31 and September 9.

See the May 21 Workshop PowerPoint here.

Capital Improvement Plan

On May 14, the Board approved the 2026–2045 Capital Improvement Plan. The plan supports long-term needs in facilities, safety, and technology. With three new schools opening between 2023 and 2026, no additional schools are projected over the next five years.

See the PowerPoint presentation here and the 20-year plan here.

Textbook Adoption and Challenges

On March 3, the Board unanimously approved 13 K-12 science textbooks.

Three residents formally objected to the chosen Biology 1 textbook, citing concerns over sections on evolution, climate change, COVID-19, and the use of masks. See the submitted objections and staff responses here.

None of the objectors attended the state-required public hearing on May 4, resulting in a cost of approximately $10,000 to the district in staff time and resources, according to Gulf Coast News. But after hearing more than 20 public comments and reviewing staff responses, the Board upheld the adoption by a 4–1 vote, with Board member Jerry Rutherford opposing.

Policy Updates

On April 16, the Board held a public first reading of revisions to 37 School Board policies and had a second public reading on May 14. There were no public comments, and all policies were unanimously adopted.

See the adopted policies here; see all School Board policies here.

Other Board Action

Naming of Ave Maria Elementary

After considering feedback from students, staff, and the community, the Board voted on May 14 to name its newest school “Ave Maria Elementary.” See survey results here; see the Ave Maria Elementary website here.

In June, the school’s mascot and school colors will be selected, and construction is expected to start. From August 2025 to January 2026, the District will conduct an attendance boundary review. The school is scheduled to open in August 2026.

Marco Island Ball Field

In January, the District announced plans to end its years-long agreement with the City of Marco Island, which had allowed public access to the baseball field at Tommie Barfield Elementary School. The decision cited safety concerns and the deteriorated condition of the field. A group of Marco Island residents formed a nonprofit, Marco Island Youth Baseball, Inc. (MIYB), to preserve the ball field.

On May 14, the Board unanimously agreed to enter into a 10-year lease with MIYB under which the District and the public would share access to the field. MIYB is responsible for all costs of maintaining and repairing the ball field. The District and MIYB will meet at least annually to review the terms of the agreement.

See Field of Dreams: Marco Island residents take over ball field, raise money for kids (Naples Daily News) and the May 14 Board Agenda Item.

New Cell Towers

On May 3, the Board voted 3-2 (with members Tim Moshier and Jerry Rutherford opposed) to begin negotiating with Wireless Edge to develop part of its MLK Jr. Administrative Center property for future cell towers. The project aims to enhance connectivity, improve emergency response, and generate lease revenue for the District. A contract will be brought back for Board approval at a future meeting.

See the agenda item and staff presentation here.

Other Matters

In addition to the above policy matters that require a Board vote, the Board was briefed on several issues that may result in future action.

Career Dual-Enrollment

Last May, CCPS Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli announced plans to increase access to career dual enrollment for students from all Collier County high schools by modifying the educational model at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School (LWTH). Under the new model, the current 2024-25 freshman class would be the school’s last. See the July 31, 2024, Career Dual Enrollment Model PowerPoint presentation here.

The announcement came as a surprise to LWTH students, parents, teachers, and School Board members. In response to strong community pushback, the District held stakeholder meetings to gather more input.

At a January 15 work session, the Board heard another presentation on the need for expanded career dual enrollment opportunities in the county. See the PowerPoint presentation here.

The Board’s attorney also clarified that implementing a different educational model at LWTH falls under the Superintendent’s operational authority, not the Board’s.

Going forward:

• All current LWTH students will remain until graduation; no new students will be admitted.
• Beginning in the 2025–26 academic year, the District will communicate dual enrollment opportunities at LWTC to students and parents at Greater Naples area high schools.
• LWTH students will continue to be given priority as applicants to LWTC upon graduation.
• As LWTH students graduate and space becomes available, LWTC programming will expand to serve all students in Collier County.
• After three years, if anticipated demand persists, the LWTH campus will be fully repurposed for LWTC expansion.

While the decision ultimately rests with the Superintendent, the Board was assured that if the anticipated demand at LWTC does not materialize, returning to the previous LWTH model in the future remains an option.

School Impact Fees

Collier County’s school impact fee was last updated in 2015. Impact fees are one-time charges paid by new developments to cover the cost of new capital facilities, in this case, schools, required to support population growth, thereby freeing up other funds for maintenance and renovations.

To comply with the requirements of the county’s impact fee ordinance and given recent changes in variables affecting the impact fee, the Board heard a presentation of a Draft School Impact Fee Study Update at its meeting on May 14. According to the presentation, a higher impact fee could be justified based on current facts. See the PowerPoint presentation here.

At its meeting on June 10, the Board will review the final study and vote to recommend an impact fee increase to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). If they agree, the BCC will then hold public hearings, vote to amend the County’s impact fee ordinance and set the new rate.

Employee Engagement Survey

At its March 19 workshop, the Board reviewed the results of this year’s Employee Engagement Survey, which showed an overall favorable rating of 76 percent, a 4-point increase over the prior year. Among the 13 of 15 workplace factors that improved, “Management” received the highest score at 83%. The score on two factors was unchanged. See the March 19 PowerPoint presentation here.

Thanks for reading! More soon.