More than 100,000 students will head back to school on Monday as the new school year begins.

It’s said that each year brings a fresh start, a new beginning, for children and educators alike.

This year, maybe more than ever, we are among those who hope this is more promise than platitude.

For too many children are not doing well when it comes to educational basics, too many are falling behind as the School District of Lee County itself acknowledged in June as the last school year wrapped up.

As reported by education reporter Meghan Bradbury:

The district earned its lowest ranking ever — ninth — among the top 10 districts for the 2022-2023 school year.

The third-grade achievement ranking went from 13th among the largest 25 districts in the state in 2016-17 to 22nd.

For the 10 largest districts for math, the district ranks ninth.

For the 2022-2023 school year, the district had an 85.1% graduation rate, a ranking of 47th statewide.

What does this mean on the student level?

We will use those third grade numbers.

Only 27% of third graders were proficient in reading at grade level with a whopping 52% scoring below the minimum “passing” benchmark, according to test score data compiled for the Florida Department of Education.

Only 37% were proficient in math with 44% scoring below the minimum “passing” benchmark.

The numbers were abysmal — as they have been for too many years, predating COVID, predating Hurricane Ian.

School Board member Melisa Giovannelli summed up succinctly the information presented to the board in June:

“We have been neglecting children for 12 years. Our job is to identify deficiencies and do something about it. The data is quite clear and for me I have always spoken about identifying the problems and taking ownership. I am prepared to move forward today because we can’t waste another year. Let’s do something about it. I don’t know how you go about making a meaningful change without really doing change. It’s about the children. We failed because the data shows that,” she said.

We point out that 12 years is pretty much the entire school career for the graduating Class of ’25.

So yes, it’s not only time for a change, change is long, long overdue.

The board has taken action, including a decision to create four new “assistant superintendent” positions for a more hands-on emphasis on schools.

Voters have taken action, too, converting the appointive superintendent of schools position to an elected post with the first elected superintendent since the ’70s to take office following the General Election in November.

Will these two substantive changes in administrative re-structuring make a difference in the classroom?

We don’t know.

But we do know that’s the only place district practices, policies, goals and objectives matter: whether our children — all of our children, not less than half — are getting the “world class education” the district has long said is its goal.

May this school year, in fact, be a fresh start, a new beginning here in Lee County.

That is exactly what district students need.

That is exactly what they deserve.

Breeze editorial