A few new options were presented to the Lee County School Board this week on how they could educate the community on how they are using the voter-approved half cent sales tax to enhance schools.

The School District of Lee County has received $299,511,016 from the voter-approved half-cent sales tax through June 13 of this year. So far the district has spent $179,575,270, which has supported 100 percent of the schools in the district. In addition, almost 3,800 new seats have been developed through that funding source, a more than 3 percent increase.

The major projects include two completed new schools, Gateway High School and Lehigh Acres Middle School; two completed renovations at Lehigh Senior High School and James Stephens Pre-K and three in progress remodels, Franklin Park Elementary School, Fort Myers Technical College and Riverdale High School.

Business Services Executive Director Susan Malay said they have engaged the Florida Gulf Coast University economics department to support the district in a study of what the economic impact of the sales tax is in terms of jobs, as well as what it looks like for visitors supporting the sales tax.

To continue to spread information of what the sales tax money is doing for the community, the school board was presented with proposed new signs that would be located at schools.

Operations Executive Director Frederick Ross said the maintenance staff was tasked with identifying areas where they could put the signs, resulting in 17 highly visible sites.

“Seventeen (sites) have really good road frontage where a really large sign could be viewed by the majority of people,” Malay said.

One of those is in front of Caloosa Elementary School and Caloosa Middle School on Del Prado Boulevard, as well as the commercial plaza by G. Weaver Hipps Elementary School.

Ross said they have chosen a two- panel “V” shaped board, so it would be visible from both sides. It would be 4 feet by 8 feet. The sign proposed states “Change for Change, Your Tax Dollars at Work for Student Success,” followed by the district’s website.

“I’m struggling with this because it says your tax dollars at work for student success. That doesn’t tell you anything,” Board member Cathleen Morgan said.

Superintendent Dr. Christopher Bernier said there are multiple things afoot here in terms of putting signs in the community. He said it’s easy to see effort when a school is being bulldozed and being cleared like Franklin Park Elementary, but other projects such as Lehigh Senior High School the scope of work is not apparent, as they had infrastructure work with technology done.

“The only thing I saw was an 8-1/2 by 11 piece of paper on the fence. I had to get out of the car to read,” Bernier said of what was taking place. “It’s a chance to tell and show the community where their dollars are being invested.”

The 17 sites already determined are where they want to get started.

There will also be site-specific information provided, Malay said, due to Ross’ idea of being creative with the football program. She said there will be a standard insert, flyer, at the football game for attendees, which could include a QR code directing people to the website for more information. In addition, the emcee, during the football game, will have a list of the projects at the school that were funded by sales tax dollars.

“You are not going to drive everyone to the website,” Malay said. “We need to meet people where they are.”

Bernier said the football program is a place where they can be more specific with projects and dollars and cents spent.

Strategic Communication Director Irma Lancaster said they have had about 10,000 visitors to the Change for Change webpage. She said the average time spent on the webpage is a minute and a half to two minutes. The most visited page describes capital vs. operating funds.

“They spend almost four minutes on that page,” Lancaster said of www.leeschools.net/ChangeForChange.

Malay said the website has a dashboard that has every expenditure by school.

She said about a year ago every school received a 2-foot by 6-foot sign which indicates that tax dollars are transforming their school. In addition, Malay said when they have new school construction and major renovation projects, they have one or more highly visible custom signs that are 4-feet by 8-feet with the design printed. She said it remains on the property during and after the construction period.

The board all agreed that the verbiage needed to be changed on a portion of the sign. The adjustments will be made and sent electronically to board members next month.

“The goal is to be up for the fall restart and be out and about in the community with signage quickly,” Bernier said.