Guest commentary: What your pennies mean to families in Lehigh Acres | News, Sports, Jobs

Edwin Carter, principal at Veterans Park Academy for the Arts

Just in time for the start of school, a top-to-bottom renovation of the former Lehigh Acres Middle building created a dedicated middle school wing at Veterans Park Academy for the Arts. Parents and students had opportunities to tour the fully renovated building during our back-to-school open house, and their reactions and feedback were everything, and more, a principal could hope for – excitement, awe, joy and appreciation. Middle school students, who can sometimes mask their emotions, were eagerly buzzing through campus like they were opening a birthday present.

Around every corner, there was something new and exciting for students to see: new science and computer labs with state-of-the-art equipment, an upgraded gymnasium and locker rooms, a media center that will feature entirely new collections and dedicated rooms for dance, music and art – important features for a school with “Academy for the Arts” in its name. Parents noticed the bright LED lighting, signature red and blue school colors woven into the interior design, and new security features like controlled access points and a camera system designed to keep their children safe.

We are in the planning stages now to renovate the elementary classrooms at Veterans Park and to add a performing arts hall that will rival some of the area’s top venues. Construction is currently scheduled to finish in 2025. When completed, Veterans Park will have increased its student capacity while eliminating the need for portable classrooms.

This work could not have been completed nor even considered without the half-cent sales tax approved by voters in 2018. Through June, the School District of Lee County had collected more than $275 million in sales tax revenue, which has funded projects at every public school in Lee County.

Our East Zone families are benefiting the most from the construction boom. Gateway High School and the new Lehigh Acres Middle School opened brand new campuses last year. An additional 200 seats are being added to the Lehigh Acres Middle campus now, and right next door, Amanecer Elementary is under construction. Nearly 1,000 students will be able to attend classes there next August. In January, a major renovation project begins at Riverdale High School that will add a science wing, modernize the classroom space, increase the size of the cafeteria and add a new gym.

Students across the district are benefiting from the community’s support of the sales tax as they log in to their brand-new computers, walk outdoors under new covered walkways, and breathe cleaner, cooler air circulating through new air handler units. Teachers are using new 4K interactive display panels while leading class discussions and have access to mobile video recording and broadcast carts that allow students to produce video-based projects from anywhere on campus.

Major construction, large and small renovations and necessary maintenance projects are pushing forward across Lee County that truly are solidifying our school district’s reputation as a world-class school system. A half-cent sales tax is making a whole lot of difference in Lee County, and it will, for generations to come.

— Edwin Carter is principal at Veterans Park Academy for the Arts in Lehigh Acres.