WEEk OF JuLY 3, 2024
VOLumE 62, NumBER 33
District student achievement decline persists By MEGHAN BRADBURY
news@breezenewspapers.com
The School Board of Lee County heard some bleak statistics on student success last week, a starting point in a conversation for a transformation that will bring regional associate superintendents to the organizational chart to help student achievement increase, rather than decline. Interim Superintendent Dr. Ken Savage said since the 2009-10 school year, the school district earned its lowest ranking — ninth — in the top 10 ever for the 2022-23 school year. Other data showed that the district ranked 25 out of the largest 25 districts in Florida for kindergarten readiness for 2016-17. “That ranking started to climb — durSee DECLINE, page 20
Parade, events and more set for Independence Day By TIFFANY REPECKI
T
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
he islands have a variety of activities scheduled for residents and visitors to celebrate the Fourth of July, including an annual parade, two community celebrations, and an in-vehicle scavenger hunt. The holiday will start with the 31st Annual Independence Day Parade along Periwinkle Way. Next, there will be the Star Spangled Celebration at Jerry's Foods and 4th of July
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Celebration at the Sanibel Recreation Center. The 4th of July Road Rally will follow at the Timbers Restaurant & Fish Market.
Independence Day Parade The 31st Annual Independence Day Parade will kick off at 9:30 a.m. on Sanibel. See INDEPENDENCE DAY, page 18
First loggerhead nest of season hatches on islands The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation reported that the first loggerhead nest of the season to hatch on the islands hatched on June 26 on Captiva, signaling the beginning of many to come. As of June 25, the SCCF had documented 554 loggerhead nests and one leatherback nest — 422 nests on Sanibel and 133 nests on Captiva — putting the islands on track for a solid nesting season. See FIRST LOGGERHEAD NEST HATCHES, page 21
The first loggerhead nest of the season to hatch on the islands hatched on June 26 on Captiva. SANIBELCAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
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