Back to School

The School District of Lee County is encouraging veterans to become teachers through the state’s Military Veterans Certification Pathway amid a severe teacher shortage. Starting July 1, Florida began issuing five-year temporary certificates for military veterans who have not yet earned their bachelor’s degrees and meet the following eligibility: Minimum of 48 months of active […]

A Lee County school bus with students onboard was involved in a minor vehicle crash on Northeast Pine Island Road in Cape Coral on Friday morning, but no students or drivers were injured. According to the Cape Coral Police Department, the school bus hit two cars at the 1486 NE Pine Island Road bus stop, […]

It was a smooth first day of school in Lee County and the school district cut 13 routes as they still face bus driver shortages, but it worked Wednesday. Deaah, a student’s mother, was determined to make sure her child was on time to and from school on the first day of the year. Which […]

Southwest Florida students headed back to school on Wednesday for the 2022-23 school year. See viewer-submitted photos in the gallery below.  

Teachers, students, parents—the day is here: Southwest Florida is headed back to school. With all the hustle and bustle of getting children to and from school, district administrators say they are making student safety a primary concern. “We’re doing a great job of making sure that anybody who tried to access a school building is […]

Crowds of parents waited hours to change their kids’ zones the day before school started. Parents who spoke with WINK News said they had to miss work to wait in line. They said they were frustrated the system wasn’t more organized. Carmen Bonilla came with her son and daughter to the Lee County schools building […]

Collier County teacher Sandy Mendoza knows teachers and parents spend a lot of money doing back-to-school shopping, and inflation is worsening the financial stress. A Southwest Florida non-profit is trying to help ease that financial stress building up on teachers. “In the beginning of the year it’s about $200 for notebooks, composition books in order […]

Collier County Public Schools have placed a label on 88 books warning that some in the community deem them “Unsuitable for students.” Many of the books center on LGBTQ issues. This notice that has been placed on the books reads: This Advisory Notice shall serve to inform you that this book has been identified by […]

As your children head back to school, don’t forget about their lunch: In Lee County, every student is served free breakfast and lunch, but Collier County students will need a certain form filled out by Tuesday night. Free breakfast and lunch were benefits every Collier County student received because of the pandemic, but the benefit […]

Parents in Lee and Collier counties are running around trying to get ready for the first day of school next week, and experts recommend talking to your children about concerns they may have as they head back to class. Along with the normal back-to-school concerns students have, like making friends and maintaining good grades, some […]