Jeff Muddell, President of the Sanibel School Fund, addressed the Sanibel Captiva Lions Club via Zoom at their August meeting. Jeff started with a brief discussion of the safety precautions for the reopening of the Sanibel School and the expectations for the in class and remote attendance.
He explained that because of the relatively small size of the Sanibel School and the fact that funding is done on a per pupil basis there is little in the way of any excess funds to provide the enhanced educational opportunities that the community desires for the Sanibel School students. There are two groups that conduct fund raising activities to supplement the school budget: The PTA and the Sanibel School Fund. The funds raised by the two organizations are used for enrichment activities such as for a dedicated STEM teacher, for foreign language education, an art program, and a leadership program. The funds also cover one-time unexpected expenses such as replacing the kiln for the art program.
The Sanibel School Fund conducts fundraisers, usually during the latter part of the “season.” Because of the pandemic this year, it was not possible to conduct the normal fundraisers. This raises the issue of whether there will be sufficient funds for this year, and funding for next year is problematic. Those interested in more information or wanting to learn more about giving opportunities are encouraged to contact Jeff Muddell at [email protected].
The Sanibel Captiva Lions Club has been serving the Sanibel and Captiva Communities for over 50 years. While the Lions Club is most known for their effort to eliminate preventable blindness, the club serves citizens of the Islands and greater Southwest Florida in a variety of ways. The local club is part of Lions Club International, the larges service organization in the world with over 1.4 million members in chapters in over 200 countries.
Sanibel Captiva Lions Club holds regular dinner meetings on the first and third Wednesday of the month during the year. Visiting Lions or other interested people are welcome to attend. For more information on the Sanibel Captiva Lions Club contact Membership Chair Lion Steven Schulz at PO Box 391, Sanibel, FL 33957, or 239-233-6261, or visit our website at www.sanibelcaptivalionsclub.org.