CONTRIBUTED BY LCSO
LEE COUNTY — The Lee County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) has begun its second annual “Clear the List” program to help teachers within Lee County fulfill their classroom wish lists. So far, more than 150 teachers have submitted wish lists for this program, and more are expected to be submitted throughout the summer.
Every year, teachers spend money out of their own pockets to make their classrooms the best possible learning environment for their students. While they are given some funds from the state for classroom supplies, the amount they receive is often not enough to cover anything beyond the most basic necessities. Clear the List aims to fill in the gaps between that state funding and what teachers are spending from their own money/paychecks by gathering donations from local businesses and community members.
All of the submitted lists are available at leecountysheriff.org/teachers, organized by system/school. All of the links on the page are submitted by local teachers, consisting of supplies that they need/want for their classrooms. Many of the requested items are as simple as stickers, pencils and printer paper, alongside bigger wishes like organizing bins and music equipment.
When community members purchase items from a teacher’s list, they will have the option to select the teacher’s registry address as the shipping address, allowing the items to be delivered directly to the teacher’s doorstep over the summer.
Local businesses and community members who would prefer to donate money rather than purchase individual items can donate through the Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation (LCSF), a 501c3 nonprofit organization. LCSF can accept online donations at lcsofoundation.org/donate, checks payable to “Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation”, and cash.
LCSO will be holding a school supply drive July 15-26 in conjunction with Clear the List to gather some of the most-requested items. These items will be delivered to schools within the Lee County Schools system by School Resource Officers during professional development days for the schools to distribute to any teachers who need them. More information about this school supply drive will be released in early July.
For more information about Clear the List, visit leecountysheriff.org/teachers or e-mail communityrelations@leecountysheriff.org.