BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. — A growing petition is looking to save Bonita Springs Elementary School as the Lee County School District inches closer to demolishing parts of the historic campus.
"The taxpayers of southern Lee County contribute tremendously to Lee County, and to have our two most historic buildings torn down because they didn't maintain them is a whole 'nother situation," said Derrick Botana, chairman of the Bonita Springs Historical Society.
There are plans to remodel part of the school, which has been in their neighborhood for over 100 years.
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Now, the society is calling on the community to come together on Saturday to save it from getting demolished.
"I've invited the City Council, the School District, just to kinda get all together in a collaborative effort to try and come up with a plan," Botana said.
Since the school district unveiled its plans in may to demolish and renovate buildings one and two, Botana has been leading a movement to preserve and protect the historic site. As of Friday afternoon, his petition has over 1,000 signatures.
In a statement to Fox 4 in September, the district said:
The School Board of Lee County is aware of the recent comments made by members of the Bonita Springs City Council during their meeting on Wednesday, September 18th. Specifically, we would like to address the incorrect assertion that the School District of Lee County requested $10 million from the city. The District’s priority is always doing what's best for our students. Our Capital Plan includes the construction of a new, state-of-the-art facility for the students and staff at Bonita Springs Elementary School. Following thorough architectural reviews, it was determined that several buildings on the site would need to be torn down, including a historically designated structure. For several months, the District has engaged in open discussions with the City Council and the Bonita Springs Historical Society. They expressed a strong desire to preserve the historical designation of the building. While additional architectural studies confirmed the need for demolition, they also suggested that the façade could potentially be preserved and integrated into the new design. However, this would incur additional costs. At the City Council's request, the District explored the financial feasibility of preserving the façade. Both internal and external estimates placed the cost at approximately $10 million. This figure was shared with the City Council as part of a potential funding option, not a direct request from the District. The School District’s current plan remains to tear down several buildings on the site, including the historical structure to build the new facility that will be thoughtfully designed to reflect and honor the architectural heritage of the Bonita Springs community. The District will continue the positive relationship and partnership with city officials and members of the Bonita Springs community.
"I think everyone in the community really wants to embrace education and the importance of that and to make sure that the students have the most up to date technology to make them more competitive in the world that we live in," Botana said.
He claims the district is to blame for the school's condition, citing deterred maintenance.
The historical society is hosting a community town hall on Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Bonita Springs Public Library, and everyone is invited.
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Botana says he hopes to reach a mutual understanding with the school district and develop a plan.
"Whether turning it into a museum or a welcome center or a welcome center, or even being part of the fabric in the new school," he said.
Community members we spoke to agree the school needs some serious repairs and the Lee County School District has said in the past their intention has always been to construct a state-of-the-art facility to better serve students and staff.
We reached out to the school district ahead of Saturday's town hall, but with the holiday weekend, we have not heard back.
