School district wants name suggestions for new East Zone elementary school

A new school coming to Lee County needs a name and you have an opportunity to nominate one.

The East Zone Elementary School J to receive a permanent name, and the School District of Lee County wants to hear your suggestions.

Elementary J shares a campus with the new Lehigh Acres Middle School on Sunrise Blvd. Revenue from the half-cent sales tax will support construction. Work will start early next year and the school will open to students in August of 2023.

The School Board is looking for names that refer to at least one of the following:

• The history, culture, and people of Florida and especially of Southwest Florida;
• The natural environment and native plants and animals of Florida and especially of Southwest Florida;
• Notable events or achievements that are associated with Florida and especially with Southwest Florida;
• The neighborhood, community, or physical location of the school;
• Founders, leaders, heroes, symbols, and fundamental principles of our nation.

Anyone with an idea is asked to submit it through a short survey that can be found at leeschools.net/elementaryj. The deadline for submission is 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 10th.

Once the survey is complete, a committee will review the suggestions to determine which ones meet School Board Policy 9.1.

A second survey will be taken next month with the top qualifying suggestions. The committee will review the final survey results and present a recommendation to the School Board for approval.

The community is invited to a public meeting on Wednesday, December 8th, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to learn more about the design of the new school.

The construction team and District staff will present an update on the plans and be available for questions and answers. The meeting will be in the cafeteria of Lehigh Acres Middle School at 651 Sunrise Blvd.