With the 2024 elections behind us, it’s time to catch up on what happened at the 2024 Collier County School Board meetings.
Stephanie Lucarelli and Erick Carter, who sought reelection last year, won their elections in August, meaning that the same five people were on the board all year. The next school board elections will be in 2026. At that time, three of the five board seats will be on the ballot.
Most recently, in November, the Board reelected Kelly Mason to a second term as chair by a vote of 4-1. Member Timothy Moshier voted no. The five board members unanimously elected Stephanie Lucarelli as vice-chair.
The board also voted to change the start time of school board meetings to 9 AM from the previous 4:30 PM. That vote was 3-2, with members Erick Carter and Jerry Rutherford voting no.
Below are what I consider to be the most significant votes our school board members took last year.
Planning
Capital Spending and Improvement Plan
Capital projects consume a full one-third of the Collier County School District’s annual $1.7 billion budget. The School Board is responsible for approving, oversight, and monitoring how the District, under the leadership of the Superintendent, plans for future growth and spends taxpayer money. How well they do so is one of several things voters should hold them accountable for.
Every spring, the District prepares a Capital Improvement Plan to identify and propose funding for projects and services related to facilities, real property, technology, maintenance, transportation, security, and health and safety.
The Plan includes five-year enrollment projections, school capacity calculations, long-range space needs, funding, and more. A new high school opened in 2023; two new elementary schools are scheduled to open in 2025 and 2026 to address current overcrowding and future growth. Additional elementary, middle, and high school facilities will also be needed within the next ten to twenty years.
The Plan also identifies projected revenue sources to fund the anticipated needs. Notably, the District does not anticipate incurring debt to meet those needs.
The Board unanimously approved the 2025-2044 Capital Improvement Plan at its Jun. 3 meeting.
Five-Year Strategic Plan
Every five years, the District prepares a Strategic Plan. The plan developed this year, which is the first developed under the leadership of Superintendent Leslie Ricciardelli, is built on five areas of focus:
- Academic Excellence,
- Safe Learning Environment,
- Fiscal Responsibility and Workplace Efficiency,
- Recruitment and Retention/Human Relations, and
- Communication and Engagement.
For each focus area, there is a five-year goal statement, first-year (2024-2025) measures, and strategies for attaining those measures.
The Board unanimously approved the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan at its meeting on Aug. 21.
Budgeting
Background
Under the Florida Constitution, the state is primarily responsible for ensuring that adequate funding for education is provided and properly allocated.
To meet this obligation, the Legislature created the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) in 1973. The FEFP’s goal is to ensure that all students in Florida’s public schools have access to similar programs and services that meet their educational needs, regardless of where in the state they live or how much money their school district has. Unlike in some other states, local property taxes do not directly fund local schools.
Given the constraints of state funding, school boards are responsible for adopting the districts’ annual budgets. The Collier School Board held its first budget workshop on May 22 (materials here), a Tentative Public Budget Hearing on Jul. 31 (materials here), and a Final Budget Public Hearing on Sep. 10 (materials here).
On Sep. 10, the Board unanimously approved the tax rates and budget for the fiscal year 2024-25.
FY 2024-25 Tax Rates
The Board unanimously adopted a total millage rate of 4.3132 mills. That is the fourth-lowest millage rate of the state’s 67 school districts and 26% less than the state average. (Florida Department of Revenue)
FY 2024-25 Budget
The board also unanimously approved a total budget of $1.659 billion, an increase of $90 million or 5.74 percent compared to the prior year’s approved budget of $1.569 billion. (2024-2025 Budget)
The budget includes operational funds for 31 Elementary Schools, 10 Middle Schools, 9 High Schools, 1 K-12 School, 1 Alternative School, 2 Technical Colleges, and 9 Charter Schools. It assumes 52,097 full-time equivalent (FTE) students.
The assumed FTE is 2,216 students or 4.44 percent more than the prior year, which explains a significant portion of the budget increase.
Also contributing to the increase is a 10.8 percent increase in the District’s covered health insurance benefit costs. In addition, state-mandated employer contributions to the Florida Retirement System (FRS) increased by 0.44%. According to the District, these additional expenses represent a significant increase in its operating costs.
Strategic Reserves
Sound financial management includes maintaining adequate reserves to meet unexpected needs. Florida Statute requires school districts to maintain a minimum reserve of 3.0 percent of projected general fund revenues.
For FY 2025, the planned Strategic Reserve is $31.4 million, or 5.0 percent of planned general fund revenues. (2024-25 Budget Book 1, pages 15 and 17)
In September 2024, the Board unanimously voted to reduce the District’s strategic reserve goal from 5.0 percent to 4.8 percent of annual resources. Policy 6210 was amended accordingly.
2024 School Tax Referendum
In April, the Board unanimously voted to place a “tax-neutral” referendum on the November ballot to continue meeting the district’s capital and operating budget requirements. For more on this, see my post, Collier School Tax Referendum.
The referendum passed with 84.7 percent of the votes, ensuring that the flexibility sought by the District will continue for another four years.
New Schools, Attendance Boundary Changes
Three New Schools; Debt-Free in 2026
After nearly 20 years without adding a school in the district, recent population growth drove the need for three new schools in the county:
- Aubrey Rogers High School opened in August 2023 at a cost of nearly $100 million. Initially hosting about 1,200 students, it will be able to hold 1,880 students at capacity. It is located at 15100 Veterans Memorial Blvd. (Florida Weekly)
- Bear Creek Elementary School is set to open in August of this year. It will hold 1,000 students at a projected cost of $83 million. It will be located about 3 miles from Collier Boulevard on Immokalee Road. (Naples Daily News)
- “Elementary Q,” to be named at a later date, is planned to open in Ave Maria in August 2026. The school, with an initial enrollment of 500 students, will be built to accommodate 900 due to growing demand. It has a projected cost of $80 million. (AveMaria.com;CCPS Capital Improvement Plan)
As a result of many years of strong financial management, the District will build the three new schools and be debt-free in 2026. (CCPS Final Budget 2023-2024)
Autism Collier Charter School
In December, the board approved the District’s contract with Autism Collier Charter School. The new K-12 school is set to open in August 2025 as the county’s only tuition-free public option charter school for students with autism. (The Naples Press; autismcolliercharter.org)
The Future of Lorenzo Walker Technical High School
In May, Superintendent Ricciardelli announced plans to change the model at Lorenzo Walker Technical High School (LWTH) to increase access to career dual enrollment for students from all Collier County high schools. Under the new model, the SY 2024-25 incoming class would be LWTH’s last freshman class. The news took students, parents, teachers, and the school board by surprise.
Following considerable pleas from the community to explore other alternatives, the District announced in July that it would hold a series of stakeholder meetings to get additional feedback on ways to expand the technical college’s programs. It said that it would then hold a school board workshop to hear the community feedback and discuss next steps. That workshop is expected to be held this year, but a date has not been announced.
For more, see the proposed transition plan for changing the model at LWTHS; Naples Daily News.
School Boundary Changes
The opening of a new school requires setting attendance boundaries and modifying boundaries for nearby schools. This is often a contentious issue, with students and parents reluctant to change schools and leave friends and favorite teachers and staff behind.
After several meetings over the year and considerable community input, the Board approved boundary changes for SY 25-26 in a 4-1 vote, with Stephanie Lucarelli in dissent. Most of the boundary changes are focused in the eastern part of the county, minimizing disruption for families west of I-75.
The Board also agreed to allow all enrolled students affected by a boundary modification to request, during the year the modification is implemented, to remain at their current school. No transportation will be provided to those out-of-zone students by the District. The previous policy only allowed students in grade 5 who were affected by a boundary modification to do so. (Policy 5120)
Instructional Materials Adoption
Florida district school boards are required to “select and provide adequate instructional materials for all students” in accordance with state requirements. They may select materials that are or are not on the State adoption list. Still, they are “responsible for the content of all instructional materials and any other materials used in a classroom, made available in a school or classroom library, or included on a reading list,” regardless of how it was acquired. (F.S. 1006.28)
In February 2024, the Board unanimously adopted eight textbooks for K-12 social studies, including Civics Alive! Foundations and Function, published by the Teachers’ Curriculum Institute. All the selected books are on the State’s K-12 Social Studies Instructional Materials Adoption List.
In 2019, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law HB 807, which required a review of the state’s K-12 civics standards. By July 2021, the standards had been fully revised. The approved changes, which some educators say are imbued with Christian and conservative tenets, became effective in the 2023-24 school year. (Revised Civics and Government Standards).
In May, the Board unanimously adopted three textbooks from the State’s adoption list for use in teaching Spanish Levels 1, 2 and 3.
Fewer Study Halls
Local school boards are responsible for adopting policies and administrative procedures to implement state legislative requirements regarding students’ progression from one grade to another. This process is known as the Student Progression Plan (SPP).
In July, the board unanimously adopted changes to the SPP that, among other things, eliminated study halls for high school juniors, and in SY 2025-26, reduce the opportunity for seniors to have study halls from two per day to one.
The change is intended to keep more students on campus longer and thereby increase the likelihood that they will take advantage of electives and academy courses. (Student Progression Plan)
Policies
Florida school boards are responsible for setting District policy. These are some of the more important policies approved by the Board last year:
Religion in the Curriculum
In March, the board unanimously approved revisions to its policy on religion in the curriculum. As revised:
Based on the First Amendment protection from the establishment of religion in the schools, no employee-led devotional exercises or displays of a religious character will be permitted in the District in the conduct of any specific program or extracurricular activity under the jurisdiction of the School Board. Instructional activities shall not be permitted to advance or prohibit any particular religion or religion generally. Nevertheless, in this regard, pursuant to law, the District may include as part of its course curriculum an objective study of the Bible and of religion. Instructional staff members shall be neutral in their approach to teaching such subject matters and avoid taking a sectarian position that would either advance or prohibit any particular religion for religious tradition. No student shall be exempted from attendance in a required course of study on the grounds that the instruction therein interferes with the free exercise of his/her religion.
Policy 2270
Electronic Devices
In November, the board voted unanimously to limit the use of cell phones by students on school property. Among the changes to the prior policy:
- Electronic devices are to be powered off and NOT to be used during instructional time for personal use. Use during any other part of the school day is at the discretion of the Principal.
- Electronic devices are to be powered off and silenced on District buses, except as authorized by the driver.
- The use of electronic devices while at school or on buses to record sound or visual images without the consent of the person being recorded or photographed is strictly prohibited.
Media Center, Classroom Library Books, Reading Lists
In November, the board voted unanimously to adopt policy changes to incorporate provisions of two bills passed by the Legislature in July, HB 1285 and HB 1361.
The changes limit the number of objections to the use of specific instructional material in the classroom that may be made by a resident of the county who is not the parent of a student with access to District materials to no more than one per month.
Weapons and Other Destructive Devices
In April, the board revised its previous policy regarding weapons on campus. The policy now prohibits students from openly carrying a handgun, concealed weapon or concealed firearm in any setting that is under the control and supervision of the District for approved school activities.
While it was not required by state law to do so, the policy explicitly “prohibits keeping any weapon or firearm in a private vehicle on school property, even if the firearm stays in the vehicle, is securely encased and is not readily accessible for immediate use….”
A 4-1 vote adopted the revision; Jerry Rutherford voted no.
Artificial Intelligence
In November, the board unanimously adopted a policy on student use of artificial intelligence and natural language processing (AI/NLP) tools.
The policy “strictly prohibits” the use of AI/NLP tools “for the completion of school work.” It allows teachers discretion for their use to provide research assistance, data analysis, language translation, writing assistance, and to assist students with disabilities, as each is described in the policy.
Code of Student Conduct
In May, the Board approved changes to the Code of Student Conduct. This 68-page document, which is required by state law to be provided to all students, provides for recognition of the rights of the student, including the right to learn. It also provides for recognition of the responsibilities of students regarding the rights of others, and regarding the obligation of all schools to provide the order necessary for meaningful and effective instruction and learning. It gives the types of disciplinary action that may be taken for conduct that violates the Code.
Several changes relate to disciplinary alternatives.
Other changes relate to the requirement that students refrain from having or using tobacco or nicotine products, narcotics, beverages containing alcohol, and drugs in or around school buses. Before these changes, the Code mentioned only tobacco.
Another change added “sexually abusive and intimidating behavior” to the definition of sexual misconduct, defined the term sexual assault, and stated that “Both males and females can be victims of sexual assault.”
Another revision incorporated the policy change regarding weapons on campus into the Code.
View the marked changes adopted at the meeting here.
Academic Calendar
To ensure that students meet the state requirement that schools operate for 180 actual teaching days or the equivalent on an hourly basis to participate in the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP), each Florida school board approves its district’s academic calendar. This can be a contentious process when it comes to planning around holiday weeks.
In January 2024, the Board approved changes to the previously approved 2024-25 calendar and to a proposed 2025-26 calendar. For both years, the first semester will end before winter break, and the school year will end on or before the end of May.
See the school academic calendars here.
School Board Self-Evaluation
As part of its governance model, the Board conducts an annual self-evaluation every June using a tool developed during its Master Board Training.
The evaluation assesses the board’s performance in four areas of competency on a scale of Unsatisfactory (1) to Exemplary (4). It also evaluates the performance of the Board Chair (Competency 5) and each member’s individual professionalism (Competency 6).
In July, the Board reviewed and discussed the results of their evaluations.
In summary, the average of the Board’s Competency ratings was 3.71. The highest average rating of 3.85 was given to Vision/Mission/Priorities and Individual Professionalism, and the lowest average rating of 3.43 was given to Governance/Policy.
“This is the first time that I have seen a healthy and proper relationship between the board and superintendent,” Board chair Kelly Mason wrote. “While I may have selected some lower ratings, overall, I do believe this board is functioning well together.” “I hope moving forward, all board members are thoroughly prepared to discuss and vote on agenda items.”
Read the detailed comments and individual board member scores here.
Superintendent Evaluation
Collier County is one of 29 Florida school districts in which the School Board hires the superintendent. In the state’s 38 other districts, the superintendent is elected directly by the voters. Superintendent Ricciardelli was hired by the current members of the school board in May 2023.
School Board Policy 1010 requires the Board to evaluate the Superintendent at least annually.
In February, the Board unanimously approved the evaluation instrument used for the SY 2023-24 evaluation. It was developed cooperatively by the Superintendent and Board during the Master Board Training.
The evaluation assesses, on a scale of Unsatisfactory (1) to Exemplary (4), the performance of the Superintendent in six areas of competency. Competencies 1–5 are directly connected to Collier County Public Schools’ Board Priorities. Competency 6 is related to the Superintendent’s leadership.
The five Board members completed the evaluation individually in July; each member’s ratings and comments were shared with the Board at its regular meeting in August.
In summary, the average of the Board’s Competency ratings was 3.88. The highest average rating of 3.97 was given in Academics, and the lowest average rating of 3.80 was given in Culture and Climate.
Read the detailed comments and individual board member scores here.
Legislative Priorities
In November, the Board unanimously adopted guiding principles and six priorities for advocacy in the 2025 Florida Legislative session.
This year, a fourth new guiding principle was added: “Focus on deregulating mandates that impose unequal expectations on school districts, charter, and private schools that receive taxpayer dollars.”
A new priority seeks local control and allowance for exceptions to the state’s mandatory school start times. A state law signed by Gov. DeSantis in 2023 requires high schools to start no earlier than 8:30 AM and middle schools no earlier than 8 AM beginning for SY 2026-2027. (Florida Weekly, HB 733)
Read the entire 2025 Legislative Platform here.
That’s it for the latest. More soon!