Q&A with Lee School Board District 3 Candidate Bill Ribble

The Lee County School Board elections are coming up and the District 3 seat is up for grabs. Incumbent Chris Patricca’s term has expired, so candidates Bill Ribble and Kaitlyn Schoeffel are vying for the seat.

Republican Bill Ribble served 35 years as vice president of corporate operational development at UPS. In this role, Ribble represented UPS before local, state and federal governments. He managed a budget of $5.7 billion.

He worked closely with his employees, coworkers and union officials at UPS and served on the Kutztown University Foundation Board, Urban League, Chamber of Commerce, United Way Boards and the Village of Estero Council.

About the District 3 School Board’s Position

The Lee County School Board administers, controls, and supervises all public schools within the district. Members of the School Board represent all schools in Lee County.
A Lee County school board member earns about $40,000 a year.
School board members serve a four-year term before being re-elected.

How much has Ribble raised so far?

So far, Ribble has raised more than $43,600 for his campaign.

He is supported by:

Amira Fox, Florida State Attorney
Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno
Florida State Senator Jonathan Martin
Florida State Representative Jenna Persons-Mulicka
Lee County Commissioners Kevin Ruane, Cecil Pendergrass, Brian Hamman and Ray Sandelli
Kevin Karnes, Clerk of the Lee County Court

Who is Ribble running against in the election?

Ribble will face candidate Kaitlyn Schoeffel. Whoever wins the Aug. 20 primary will win the District 3 seat on the Lee County School Board.

Here are candidate Ribble’s answers to our questions:

The Lee County School District is expecting significant enrollment growth and may need to build 10 new schools. How would you address the challenges of managing the growth illustrated in the District’s new 10-year plan while ensuring that all students receive a quality education?

The Lee County School District’s 10-year plan has identified a capacity issue as the district adds 95 new students each day.

It is a must to have a tight budget and identify existing funds that can be better used for construction projects. The budget should be reviewed to see if the money spent is for wants or needs.

In the event that additional capacity is needed in a zone, existing buildings should be evaluated for expansion. In some cases, a second floor or a new wing may be added. Existing buildings should also be evaluated for additional structure.

How would you address concerns about teacher retention and recruitment in Lee County, especially given that neighboring counties offer higher salaries?

The fact that neighboring provinces offer higher salaries to teachers poses a major challenge in recruiting new staff.

FGCU has done an excellent job with their K-12 College of Education program. As a district, we need to identify all available funds in the budget so we can be on par with neighboring counties.

Partnering with local businesses for mentoring, substitutes, and teaching assistants will help free up funding for existing teachers. Many local business professionals have the necessary credits to serve in this capacity.

Do you believe that the Lee County School District is doing enough to ensure the safety and security of students and staff on school grounds? What changes, if any, would you advocate for in terms of school safety policies and procedures?

The Lee County School District and the Lee County Sheriff’s Department continue to do a great job working together to ensure the safety and security of all schools in Lee County.

SROs are present at all schools, as are the new Gateway Monitors to scan all people entering each school. I would encourage expanding the “Guardian Program” to provide security at every school location.

What is your position on the recent controversy surrounding the “Hate Has No Home Here” banner displayed in a Lee County classroom? How would you handle similar situations involving potentially controversial materials or displays in schools?

Controversial materials and displays do not belong on school grounds.

How would you address the concerns of parents and community members who have expressed dissatisfaction with certain books or materials available in school libraries? What role do you think parents should play in shaping curriculum and library collections?

Florida House Bill 1069 clearly protects the rights of parents to ensure that students are not exposed to inappropriate material. Lee Schools also requires all parents to fill out a Media Access Form each year to restrict their child’s access to books and media.

The district has a committee that reviews the curriculum and library collections. This committee supports Florida Statutes 1003.41, which sets the standards and curriculum content taught in Florida K-12 Schools.

The Lee County School District recently revised its “Safe Space” decals, removing the rainbow flag and language specifically mentioning LGBTQ+ inclusivity. What are your thoughts on this change and how important do you think it is for schools to be welcoming and inclusive environments for all students?

In terms of the “Safe Space” policy, all schools and their staff must treat everyone with dignity and respect. All classrooms and offices must be a place where children can get help. There must be zero tolerance for bullying and abuse of anyone.

What are your thoughts on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom? How should the school district approach AI to improve education while addressing concerns about plagiarism and academic integrity?

Artificial intelligence (AI) has advantages and disadvantages in education.

Some of the advantages from an instructional perspective are that it can develop individualized instruction for all students through different platforms. It can be a translation tool for English language learners. It can also help develop study aids and tutorial programs.

Some disadvantages are that it does not have a social-emotional component, nor a human perspective. It cannot be a substitute for best research practices. Students must learn the ethical concerns of using it in research writing.

Given the new state law that allows school districts to participate in a volunteer chaplain program, what are your views on the role of religion in schools? How should the district approach the inclusion of religious activities while ensuring that they respect the diverse beliefs of all students and meet legal requirements?

Children should be taught about all religions without being biased towards one religion. After school clubs can be allowed for students who want to join a specific religious group.

What are the top priorities for your district and what new initiatives will you focus on to improve the local education system?

My highest priorities as a member of the Lee County School Board would be to ensure:

“Safe schools” ensure the safety of students, teachers and staff.
“Teacher Retention” – Improve teacher recruitment and retention.
“Improve the English as a Foreign Language (ELL) Program” for the success of non-English speaking students.

What do you want voters to know about you and why should they vote for you over your opponent?

I am running for the Lee County School Board to help the board implement the “Envision 2030 Plan”. For the past 6 years I have served as Vice Chair of the Lee County Schools Strategic Planning Committee where we have created policies to support this plan. A plan with a vision to be a world class school system, a mission to ensure every student reaches their highest potential and values that believe in students, achieving excellence, integrity, accountability and professionalism.

With my business acumen, I also want to focus on the $2.77 billion budget, cut back on excessive spending and emphasize higher teacher salaries.

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