• To automatically feed the CCPS Academic Calendar dates into your phone or device, visit www.collierschools.com/calendar. Click on the icon in the upper right-hand corner of the page. (When you hover over the icon, it will say iCal Feed Instructions.) Finally, follow the instructions based upon the type of device you are using. Once you have linked the calendar to your device, dates will automatically be uploaded and adjusted with any changes.  

• Each public school assigns a school liaison to plan and coordinate services for children and youth who are living in homeless situations. Generally, the school counselor works with the district liaison to identify and assess basic needs and provide educational intervention support as needed. Parents and guardians are informed of the educational and related opportunities available for their children and are provided meaningful opportunities to participate in the education of their children.

• CCPS employs a full-time district staff member to be the liaison for the McKinney-Vento Education Program. That person is dedicated to assisting families and children by eliminating barriers to school enrollment, attendance, stability, and overall academic success. The district liaison works with schools and families to ensure that children experiencing homelessness have the same opportunities for educational success as housed students in Collier County.

• The district liaison coordinates a variety of activities to assist school-age children. Primary activities include eliminating traditional barriers to students being enrolled in school immediately.  This includes such things as: residency requirements, guardianship, student records, immunization records or other medical records, birth certificates required for school registration, access to school transportation, supplemental academic and special programs, and free school meals. 

• Through the support of the McKinney-Vento Education Program, the district liaison is able to provide school supplies, hygiene kits, and school uniforms to students in need and ensures parents/guardians/unaccompanied youth are informed of the rights of students in homeless situations.

• Homelessness brings about a variety of basic needs that require service assistance beyond what schools can offer. Therefore, the district liaison also works closely with social services, governmental agencies, and shelter directors to provide services for children and youth such as housing, food, medical, dental, and mental health services.

• Children and youth experiencing homelessness reside in every county in Florida. In an effort to ensure the educational success of all students, school districts are required to identify and serve children and youth living in homeless situations as per the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act. The ultimate goal of the McKinney-Vento Act is to remove barriers that might otherwise prevent students experiencing homelessness from enrolling, attending, and succeeding in school. 

• The McKinney-Vento Education Program is offered to all students enrolled in CCPS who meet the definition of homeless under the McKinney-Vento Act reauthorized in 2002. It defines homeless children as families in transition, who lack a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence. In addition, a child who is not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian is considered an “unaccompanied youth” under the McKinney-Vento Act. A child may qualify as homeless if the child is:

1) Living in a “doubled-up” situation (two or more families living together) due to the family’s loss of housing, economic hardship, or similar reason
2) Living in a temporary arrangement due to the lack of adequate accommodations (e.g., car, motel, hotel, camping grounds, or public place)
3) Living in an emergency or transition shelter
4) Living with a family member, or a non-family member, who is not the legal guardian of the child
5) Living in a nighttime residence, not under the name of the parent or legal guardian 

• Aubrey Rogers High School will offer a variety of upper-level and advanced courses next year, such as Advanced Placement (AP), AICE, and Dual Enrollment through FSW and FGCU. Please visit the Aubrey Rogers website - www.collierschools.com/arh - for a complete list of courses.

• Accreditation is important for students as they gain greater access to federal loans, scholarships, military programs, and colleges that require students to attend an accredited institution. CCPS hosts an external review visit every six years and provides evidence for each of the 31 accreditation standards​. Evidence is reviewed by Cognia's Accreditation External Review Team (ERT), and members rate evidence toward standards on a rubric scale​. The ERT identifies organizational strengths and opportunities for improvement and determines the District’s accreditation status. The Cognia Accreditation Process is comprehensive, evaluating all parts of the institution. The process focuses on vision and goals, evaluates teaching and learning, and examines how results are documented and resources are allocated.

• Lessees are community organizations such as clubs, churches, sports programs, and local government organizations​. For information pertaining to leases, you may reach out to CCPS Facilities Management by visiting www.collierschools.com/facilities. 

• The first Organization Meeting of the Board of Public Instruction of Collier County, Florida, was held on July 9, 1923. During that initial meeting, Superintendent Tommie Barfield was "authorized to purchase necessary supplies during the following month, not exceeding, in the aggregate, $300." It was decided that one supervisor from each school would report observations on a monthly basis to the County Superintendent of Public Instruction. Mrs. Tommie Barfield worked with Barron Gift Collier and the State Legislature to create Collier County and become unique from Lee County. The creation of Collier County and appointment of School Board members and a Superintendent were important steps in formalizing an educational system.  

• Aubrey Rogers High School will be fully prepared to play Varsity and Junior Varsity in all sports during its inaugural year. The new high school, scheduled to open in August 2023, will play a modified independent schedule for Varsity football, but all other sports will operate and participate as any other high school. As of February 2023, school leaders are in the process of hiring athletic coaches, and those names will be announced soon. For more information on Aubrey Rogers High School, visit www.collierschools.com/arh, and follow Aubrey Rogers on Facebook (@ccpsarh) and Twitter (@arhpatriots) for the latest news.

• When kids are active on a playground, they are building critical developmental skills. Playgrounds provide the opportunity for children to practice skills that will ultimately play a role in adult competencies, such as the ability to collaborate with others, develop decision-making skills and successfully take on leadership roles, persevere in the face of distractions, and generate creative ideas.The vast majority of our CCPS playgrounds are for elementary students and are covered in a variety of surfaces: sand, rubber, and mulch. Some schools have multiple playgrounds that may be separated by fence and maintained for different age groups.  .  

• All CCPS seventh-grade students have the opportunity to tour the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University, which emphasizes the importance of college and career readiness.  

• The District supports 8,489 students who have an Individual Educational Plan (IEP), with 85% served in regular education classes and 14% in special classes. The following video clip is drawn from the November 7, 2022, School Board Meeting; a portion of which has been edited for the purpose of presenting the discussion concerning Exceptional Student Education (ESE) programming.

• CCPS is on track to be completely debt-free by the year 2026. That will equate to a tremendous cost saving because in Fiscal Year 2023, for example, the budget includes nearly $40 million in debt service. Additionally, the District is currently building a new state-of-the-art high school in North Naples, which will be paid for — with zero debt — when the doors open for students in August of 2023. That example of fiscal responsibility is due in large part to the vision of District planning staff and the Collier County School Board who voted in 2001 to purchase the 60-acre site off Livingston Road. Visionary planning and strategic purchases translate into millions of dollars in savings. 

• Volunteers are a contributing factor to the success of CCPS, and we recognize and appreciate the positive impact they have on all CCPS students and staff. Schools use volunteers to help in classrooms, at special events like book fairs and festivals, and chaperone trips. Learn more by visiting www.collierschools.com/volunteer. 

• All our school sites are outfitted with the Thor Guard lightning prediction system, which predicts and warns of potential hazards, and assists in guiding decisions regarding outside activities. Lightning is a severe hazard that must be taken seriously to prevent injury and/or loss of life. When the conditions for a lightning strike exist, a horn will blast for 15 seconds and the yellow strobe activates. All outdoor activities must cease at this time. Outdoor participants should seek refuge indoors. Outdoor activities may resume when you hear three short blasts emit from the horns and the yellow strobe light ceases.
• Also important to note, you can check your school's Thor Guard status by visiting thormobile.collierschools.com or by downloading the CCPS mobile app and clicking the Weather icon.