Proposal to raze Fort Myers Beach Elementary School campus on Lee County School District’s agenda
Tonight’s School District of Lee County School Board agenda contains an action item for requesting to the Florida Department of Education that the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School campus be razed and that three buildings be demolished to “allow the District to consider future educational facility options on the site as needed.”
The Fort Myers Beach Elementary School is on the National Register of Historic Places. Just a few months ago, the school district’s administrators estimated it would cost $1.3 million to repair and reopen the school. It has been closed since incurring flood damage from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton.
The proposed school board action item is occurring just as the Town of Fort Myers Beach has called for mediation proceedings to enforce an interlocal agreement between the town and the school district which requires the school to be open through at least 2027.
The Town of Fort Myers Beach has also raised questions about the use of an $11.3 million award from FEMA for the school and how it was used after Hurricane Ian.
School district spokesman Rob Spicker said in response to questions about the agenda item that “We advised at the August 5th board workshop we were requesting and would be submitting this report to the state. Tonight is not a vote to demolish the school, as it is being referred to, it is simply a vote to submit the report.”
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.