Amontree seeks reelection to Charlotte County School Board

PORT CHARLOTTE — Kim Amontree said her experience and serving on six nonprofit boards makes her the best candidate for the Charlotte County School Board’s District 2 seat.

“I believe I’m the best candidate for the School Board due to my unique combination of leadership experience, community commitment and educational background,” she said.

Amontree won the seat on the School Board in 2016 and was reelected in 2022. For two years, Amontree, 58, served as legislative chair for the Florida School Board Association. She said she championed educational initiatives.

“I have also successfully advocated for funding to expand FAA Aviation Certification programs for both adult and high school students in Charlotte County,” she said.

She said the most significant challenge for the district is improving student performance in reading and mathematics.

“I supported contracting with consultants from the Center for Model Schools to evaluate every classroom based on four measures: rigor, relevance, engagement, and relationships,” she said. “To address this, we are increasing targeted professional development for teachers, focusing on enhancing academic discussions and higher-level questioning in every classroom.”

Amontree said it’s important for the community to understand how the board makes decisions, adding live meetings are streamed online.

“I try to ask questions and comment on issues that I think are of note to the public and our employees — without letting the meeting drag on with extraneous information,” she said. “I offer to meet with citizens before board meetings at 4 p.m. to answer questions.”

Amontree said another critical challenge is student attendance. In 2022-23, 26% of students missed 18 or more school days. Improved proficiency and performance depend on consistent attendance.

“We are implementing several positive initiatives to increase attendance and are committed to working closely with families to ensure their children are in school every day,” she said.

The district introduced the Career Planning Guide to all high school students, she said.

“This guide makes education more relevant by helping students connect their strengths with a chosen path — enrollment, enlistment or employment,” she said.