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Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. at Toledo Blade Elementary in North Port in Oct. 17, 2022. (Credit: Governor Ron DeSantis Facebook) Governor Ron DeSantis announced $200 million in awards to Florida schools through the School Recognition Program on Monday. Some of the money is headed to Southwest Florida Schools. The awards will go to 1,400 schools across the state that demonstrated student growth and teaching excellence in the 2021-22 school year. To be eligible, the governor’s office said schools must receive a school grade of “A” or improve at least one letter grade from the prior year. In Southwest Florida, 96 schools received money totaling $13 million: 24 Sarasota County schools, including Toledo Blade Elementary, will receive $3.8 million 27 Lee County schools will receive $3.6 million 38 Collier County schools will receive $5 million 6 Charlotte County schools will receive just over $600,000 Bowling Green Elementary in Hardee County will receive $54,000 For a full list of awards, you can click here. “I was glad to award more than $200 million to 1,400 schools that demonstrated student growth and teaching excellence over the past year,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “These awards can be used to give our hard-working teachers bonuses, and are particularly important in Southwest Florida where they will go a long way toward helping our teachers in the area get back on their feet,” said DeSantis. “It was great to award Toledo Blade Elementary with nearly $150,000 in school recognition funds, which is a testament to their commitment to academic excellence,” said Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. “I am also proud of the work they have done to quickly get kids back in the classroom. None of this would be possible without the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis, the efforts of state leaders, and the resiliency of district leadership and staff.” Schools can use the funding for a variety of provisions, including bonuses to the faculty and staff, educational equipment or materials to assist in maintaining and improving student performance, or temporary personnel for the school to assist in maintaining and improving student performance. The exact distribution of funds is determined by the school’s staff and school advisory council. You can watch the governor’s remarks by clicking here or in the player below.