FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. — The dust is settling... becoming a little clearer to see the future that surrounds Fort Myers Beach Elementary.
It’s a topic we’ve been covering for months, ever since the school has remained closed since Hurricane Ian.
Now, discussions between school board representatives and parents are starting to gain some traction as options will be discussed during a special meeting Wednesday— options that have some parents remaining optimistic.
"Multiple nights a week, my kid asks me, ‘Are we getting our school back?'" says John Koss, a parent of a student at the school. "It'll be nice to get to the point where I can look them in the eye and say, ‘Yes, your school is coming back.”
All eyes are on Fort Myers Beach Elementary as cleanup continues.
“I think our community, at large, is getting a little stressed and a little frustrated," said Koss. "We see Sanibel go back to school and other areas that are getting their schools back and our kids aren't back yet.”
Koss is the father of a student at Fort Myers Beach Elementary. He also happens to be a part of the ad-hoc committee, made up of parents from the school along with the Lee County Schools superintendent and others. Their agenda is to discuss the future of the elementary school.
"There's been a lot of meetings, there's been a lot of discussions. I think where we're getting to now is a good place... I'm hoping.”
As discussions about the elementary's future continue, the school has remained empty, gated off, and closed to the public as restoration crews work in and out of the building.
"We're hoping we'll reach a decision point in the next couple of weeks, three to four weeks tops, to where we can start putting some things back together.”
The ad-hoc committee will be discussing three options.
They are as follows:
- Option 1: Fix the historical building and do nothing else — meaning students would not return.
- Option 2: Build brick-and-mortar facilities at the school to coincide with the historic building, which would cost just under $6 million. This would also see students use the Fort Myers Beach Library just down the street.
- Option 3: A portable campus and a completely new school, which would cost tens of millions.
"We still haven't made a decision yet on where we're going to go," says Koss. "So hopefully that's going to come soon and something is going to come out that is okay.” Keeping this parent, and others, optimistic for their students' return to school.
“I get a real good feeling all of the members that we deal with, want us to be successful. We've got an uphill battle to get there but I believe that can happen.”
The ad-hoc committee for the future of Fort Myers Beach Elementary will be meeting Wednesday afternoon starting at 1:00 p.m.
