Lee County May Reconsider Vote to Opt Out of Testing

The Lee County School Board, which voted to opt out of statewide standardized testing this week, could be pumping the brakes on its decision to leave testing behind.

The board will be meeting next Tuesday to discuss the vote and consider rescinding its decision. The News Press reported board member Mary Fischer, who served as the tiebreaker for the 3-2 vote, requested the meeting.

The meeting drew some criticism from opponents of high-stakes testing, who contested the meeting time was unsuitable for gathering parent input.

"The Board has every right to hold a meeting to reconsider its vote to 'opt out' of state-mandated testing," wrote Bob Schaeffer, Public Education Director for FairTest, in a letter to board members. "But the decision to schedule the special session at 8:30am on a weekday -- when working parents of Lee County public school students and district educators, two groups that apparently support your initial majority vote according to all available polls -- are unable to attend is outrageous."

Schaeffer implored members to reschedule the meeting to a different date and time to maximize public participation.

Check back for updates.