FORT MYERS, Fla. — The Dunbar community is one step closer to having a new school for future generations.
Franklin Park Elementary School is being rebuilt from the ground up and demolition will begin on Wednesday.
The entire school will be demolished except for one classroom structure and the gymnasium.
The rebuild is not hurricane-related, it’s a plan the district had to renovate the school.
The construction project is a long anticipated one.
Franklin Park Elementary School has a rich history that dates back to 1958, that’s when the school first opened up as an all-black school.
About ten years after that, the school was turned into a middle school and was integrated.
It was eventually renovated and turned back into an elementary school.
Now, more than 60 years later, the campus is getting a completely brand-new building.
The rebuild is part of a promise the district made in 2018 to voters if a half-cent sales tax was approved.
The school began preparing for the rebuild in December.
Since then Franklin Park students have been attending school at a temporary campus.
The school is expected to have over 500 students for from kindergarten through 5th grade, and room for another 100 pre-kindergarten students.
The school will also be the district’s first community school with wrap-around services on-site.
Organizations like United Way, Lee Health, and FGCU will be on-site to provide services to students and families.
The school is expected to be completed by August 2024.
