SANIBEL, Fla. — There's a chance the Sanibel School could reopen on Monday, but the Lee County School District says it all depends on test results.
The school was damaged by Hurricane Milton, along with Fort Myers Beach Elementary.
Watch below to see what the district is waiting for:
"Sanibel actually took on about eight to 10 inches of water in the lower part of the campus," said Frederick Ross, the district's Executive Director of Operations.
At Wednesday's School Board meeting, Ross told the Board there was widespread damage across the district.
"In general, we were looking at damages such as ceiling leads, roof leaks, ceiling tiles down, a lot of debris," Ross said.
At the Sanibel School, the damage was extensive.
"Ripping out the carpet, cutting out the drywall as high — a little bit higher than the water came in," Ross explained.
The district tells Fox 4 says the school could reopen Monday if indoor air quality tests are safe this week. However, it's not a sure thing.
Still, parents want to know why the school's still out of commission when everything else seems recovered.
"I come here and I look and I say, 'Hey, it's not that bad. Businesses are back up and running," one parent previously told Fox 4.
Those parents have expressed their frustrations to us over the pace of repairs and students relocating to Heights Elementary in the meantime.
One parent at Wednesday's meeting says she is happy to see images of the inside of the school.
"The parents would still like more and consistent information regarding the scope of damage from Hurricane Milton to the Sanibel School and how we can better prepare for the future," the parent said. "I believe preparing for the inevitable next storm is a no-brainer."
The district says it will be in touch with parents later this week and will provide weekly communication until the projects are done.
The spokesperson says families will be the first to know when the school reopens.
