Lee County Sheriff’s Office helping teachers with back-to-school classroom items

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is holding its Clear the List program to help teachers with back-to-school classroom items. – Photo from Lee County Sheriff’s Office

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office has begun its third annual Clear the List program to help teachers fulfill their classroom wish lists.

So far, more than 160 teachers in various school systems in Lee County have submitted wish lists for this program, and more are expected to be submitted throughout the summer.

The sheriff’s office says 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.

All of the submitted lists are available here, organized by system and 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 stands.

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 501(c)3 non-profit organization. LCSF can accept online donations or checks payable to “Lee County Sheriff’s Foundation”, or cash.

LCSO will be holding a school supply drive July 14-25 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.

— Information from the Lee County Sheriff’s Office