Tax tips for those who are recovering from hurricanes The holiday season is over and tax season is upon us. Between two hurricanes and Ian, there are things you’ll want to do to get money back.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beyond the businessman: Who is Tom Golisano? Beyond the buildings that bear his name, who is Tom Golisano?
Accused drunk driver nearly hits 8 Lee County deputies An accused drunk driver almost hit eight deputies trying to stop and get him out of his car.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral nonprofit rescues five dogs from breeder Karena Loudin rescued five miniature Schnauzers – Molly, Joey, Ike, Zeus and Maggie from dog breeder Delaine Lowry’s home in Big Pine Key.
ARCADIA Arcadia residents reflect on Hurricane Ian over 2 years later People in Arcadia survived Helene and Milton with minor impacts, but their Ian story is one that doesn’t get told often or enough.
LEHIGH ACRES More businesses heading to Lehigh Acres, including Chipotle and Chick-fil-A New developments are coming to Lehigh Acres, including numerous restaurants like Panda Express and Zaxby’s.
Former Make-a-Wish recipient gives back to SWFL community From wish kid to wish giver a local college student is turning a life-changing experience into a mission to give back.
FORT MYERS BEACH People spend holiday break on Fort Myers Beach For those who decided to stay in Southwest Florida during the holidays, they had one thing in mind: the beach.
FORT MYERS Innovative thumb joint replacement surgery Similar to getting a new knee or hip to relieve severe arthritis, a growing number of people are getting a thumb joint replacement.
FORT MYERS BEACH Bonita Bills restaurant closing after 30+ years of service Bonita Bill’s will be closing its doors after 30+ years of service.
FORT MYERS BEACH 2 juveniles, 1 man accused of armed robbery, fleeing from Lee County deputies Two juveniles and one man have been arrested after allegedly robbing a victim at gunpoint and then fleeing from Lee County deputies.
cape coral 19-year-old Cape Coral man accused of attempted car burglary on Christmas Eve The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man accused of attempting to steal a car on Christmas Eve.
RSW braces for post-holiday travel Now that the holidays have passed for many, the return to normalcy has begun as Southwest Florida International Airport prepares for a large influx of travelers.
wink news Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1B; next drawing set for Friday The elusive Mega Millions jackpot has evaded players this holiday season as the prize money has ballooned to $1.15 billion.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warmer temperatures and isolated showers for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking warmer temperatures along with isolated showers expected throughout this Thursday afternoon.
Tax tips for those who are recovering from hurricanes The holiday season is over and tax season is upon us. Between two hurricanes and Ian, there are things you’ll want to do to get money back.
SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beyond the businessman: Who is Tom Golisano? Beyond the buildings that bear his name, who is Tom Golisano?
Accused drunk driver nearly hits 8 Lee County deputies An accused drunk driver almost hit eight deputies trying to stop and get him out of his car.
CAPE CORAL Cape Coral nonprofit rescues five dogs from breeder Karena Loudin rescued five miniature Schnauzers – Molly, Joey, Ike, Zeus and Maggie from dog breeder Delaine Lowry’s home in Big Pine Key.
ARCADIA Arcadia residents reflect on Hurricane Ian over 2 years later People in Arcadia survived Helene and Milton with minor impacts, but their Ian story is one that doesn’t get told often or enough.
LEHIGH ACRES More businesses heading to Lehigh Acres, including Chipotle and Chick-fil-A New developments are coming to Lehigh Acres, including numerous restaurants like Panda Express and Zaxby’s.
Former Make-a-Wish recipient gives back to SWFL community From wish kid to wish giver a local college student is turning a life-changing experience into a mission to give back.
FORT MYERS BEACH People spend holiday break on Fort Myers Beach For those who decided to stay in Southwest Florida during the holidays, they had one thing in mind: the beach.
FORT MYERS Innovative thumb joint replacement surgery Similar to getting a new knee or hip to relieve severe arthritis, a growing number of people are getting a thumb joint replacement.
FORT MYERS BEACH Bonita Bills restaurant closing after 30+ years of service Bonita Bill’s will be closing its doors after 30+ years of service.
FORT MYERS BEACH 2 juveniles, 1 man accused of armed robbery, fleeing from Lee County deputies Two juveniles and one man have been arrested after allegedly robbing a victim at gunpoint and then fleeing from Lee County deputies.
cape coral 19-year-old Cape Coral man accused of attempted car burglary on Christmas Eve The Cape Coral Police Department has arrested a man accused of attempting to steal a car on Christmas Eve.
RSW braces for post-holiday travel Now that the holidays have passed for many, the return to normalcy has begun as Southwest Florida International Airport prepares for a large influx of travelers.
wink news Mega Millions jackpot surges over $1B; next drawing set for Friday The elusive Mega Millions jackpot has evaded players this holiday season as the prize money has ballooned to $1.15 billion.
THE WEATHER AUTHORITY Warmer temperatures and isolated showers for your Thursday plans The Weather Authority is tracking warmer temperatures along with isolated showers expected throughout this Thursday afternoon.
Credit: WINK News Late Friday afternoon, the School District of Lee County sent a note to parents of kids in middle and high schools to let them know the district is changing its grading measures. This new scoring system is designed to help kids recover if they happen to fall behind. But some wonder if it’s fair. Lee County Schools instituted the new points system over the summer yet most parents didn’t hear about it until today if they did hear about it at all. And on the question of fairness, the district believes the system is more than fair and gives kids a fighting chance to recover from a bad grade. Each school year, SDLC students put in hundreds of hours worth of work to make the grade. But, this school year in Lee County Schools, the grade may look a bit different. The system is known as “quality points.” Instead of seeing a number on your child’s report card, now you’ll only see a letter. For example, any grade from 90 to 100 is an “A,” any grade from 80 to 89 is a “B” and so on. An example of the high school grading system Credit: The School District of Lee County. District staff believes this system will benefit those students who may have fallen behind by helping them recover at a quicker rate. Take a middle school student, for example, we’ll call her “Jenny.” First, we look at her grades under the old system. The scores from each of the four quarters would be averaged. In that case, she’d earn a 69% for the year, which would be a “D.” But, under the quality points system, each of those percentages only becomes a letter grade. Each letter grade earns “Jenny” a certain number of points. Each of those points is then multiplied by 25% or .25. Once you add those up, Jenny will get a 2, which is a “C” on the quality points scale. This is a grade higher than her score would’ve been under the old system. The school district says the scoring system will not impact a student’s GPA. And for parents, you’d still like to see your child’s specific percentage, you can head to the parent portal. Middle and high school grades are weighed slightly differently. The district was also able to answer these questions for us: Q: I understand from watching the meeting the system was implemented because it’s recommended by DOE and because it helps students recover who otherwise would not be in a position to easily. Any other reasons the system was implemented or is that a good and fair summary? A: It also aligns with the previous method of high school grading for Biology, Algebra, Geometry and US History, and it aligns the District with many other school districts, making transfers from district to district simpler. Q: Can you also confirm it’s been in place since the start of the school year? Yes. Beyond the notifications on Facebook last week, why were parents not alerted to the change earlier? A: There were public hearings before the School Board July 27 and August 17. The notifications are coming now since the change is just now visible. Q: Will GPAs change? How? A: No. Q: What change will parents notice on report cards? how can they see the actual percent if they want? A: Report cards will show the letter grade. Percentages are available in every parent’s FOCUS account. Q: My understanding is that without plus and minuses, a score of 91 and 100, for example, both receive an A and its corresponding number of points. Is there concern this evens kids out too much, especially with college admissions? A: No. Pluses and minuses are not part of our grading system. GPA’s are still calculated in the same manner as before, so students who take advanced classes will continue to earn the extra credit those courses provide. Transcripts sent to colleges only show the full letter grade so this does not change that at all.