LEE COUNTY, Fla — School is nearly in session for Lee County students. Interim superintendent Dr. Ken Savage sat down with Fox 4 Senior Reporter Kaitlin Knapp to walk about new school zones, hiring teachers and other priorities.
More than 90,000 students go to school in Lee County. Teachers are at the forefront of their education, but the district is short 170. This is down from 211 last year.
"If there isn't a classroom teacher there, that's the worst thing for our students, to not have a teacher," Savage said.
Watch some of the superintendent's priorities and challenges ahead of school year:
The district says Lehigh Acres has a high vacancy rate, which is where most of the new schools are being built.
Cheryl Neely, associate superintendent of the district's south zone, explained why she believes there's a struggle to hire.
"I think it's a struggle because of part of it is society and the impression there is on education and how difficult the career can be," Neely said.
Savage also says cost of living is a factor.
It's not only about hiring, but retention.
"How do we create a sustainable environment for our employees so that they feel completely supported," Savage said.
The district focuses on recruiting former teachers, retired teachers, or those looking for a career change and working under degree requirements.
While there aren't enough teachers, there's not shortage of students.
"We are absolutely struggling with capacity," Savage said. "That is a real issue for us."
Savage says some schools are over 100% capacity, which is where the proximity plan comes in. This year, zones changed for middle school, but Savage says the change is not nearly as drastic as elementary schools last year.
"It's a never ending journey continuing to look at our boundaries, look at them and make sure we're optimizing that," Savage said.
While students head off to school, there are some changes in the classroom, like how much time is spent on testing.
"We need reduce it because we recognize that every minute that we are spent assessing students, is a minute that we aren't spending teaching our children," Savage said.
The School Board reduced times for nearly half of the grades. The biggest cut was 5th grade, reducing testing by 702 minutes.
Also inside the classroom, Savage says over the past few years, something's peaked his interest.
"I'm noticing that there's increasing feelings of folks feeling more and more isolated," he said.
The interim superintendent says access to social media could be a factor, so he wants to hone in on more in-person interaction.
Savage will not be the superintendent past November. That's because it's now an elected position.
He believes it provides district stability.
"The last time we were the second-highest performing of the big 10 back many years ago, we actually were coming off the heels of a superintendent who'd been in tenure for seven consecutive years," Savage said.
The superintendent will serve four years, but until that time comes, Savage says he will prepare the district, students and teachers for the transition.
"We continue to grow, we continue to build schools, we continue to need to hire them [teacher]," Savage said.
As for Charlotte County Schools, Knapp asked for an interview nearly a month ago with the superintendent, but was told he's not available. The district only provided Fox 4 with a statement:
As summer draws to a close, we are excited to kick off the school year and eagerly anticipate a successful year ahead. At CCPS, we are committed to providing a relevant education where every student graduates ready for success and can make a meaningful impact within their community. We look forward to building upon the momentum of our recent success and stay committed to our shared vision and mission of excellence."
