Town of Fort Myers Beach Council creates six charter school ad-hoc committees

The Town of Fort Myers Beach Council voted on Monday to establish six ad-hoc committees to assist in the preparation of a charter school application to the state for the replacement of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School as a public school.

This would be the first step for the town to operate a charter school, as it finalizes an agreement with the School District of Lee County to take over the public school campus. The school has been closed since Hurricane Milton flooded the building in 2024, one year after reopening after being shuttered due to Hurricane Ian.

Town of Fort Myers Beach Deputy Manager Traci Kohler said the voluntary committeemembers would be advisors to the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council in working on an extensive, detailed application regarding curriculum, staffing, finance, and tackling the cost of running the school.

“It is quite extensive, it is quite detailed,” Kohler said. “We are looking for those experts in their fields.”

Kohler said she expects the application process to run no longer than six months.

Mayor Dan Allers said he wants the charter school to be open to students who live on Fort Myers Beach as well as to be extended to students whose parents work on Fort Myers Beach.

Vice Mayor Scott Safford and Councilmember John King suggested the town reach out to Florida Gulf Coast University for assistance.

“I think it’s going to be great from a community perspective if we can get as many people involved,” Safford said. “There are many talented people out there.”

Councilmember Rebecca Link said she wants the committees to look at planning for the funding of the school to look at a range of budgeting options from a smaller budget to a higher budget.

Kohler said the plan would be for the most conservative outlook.

According to figures provided by the School District of Lee County, there were just 16 students enrolled for Fort Myers Beach Elementary students who are attending separate classes at Heights Elementary. That is down from more than 40 students last year, and more than 80 students before Hurricane Ian.

Kohler said the plan is for three of the town councilmembers to be involved in the committees.

The School District of Lee County gutted Fort Myers Beach Elementary School in 2023, after Hurricane Ian struck the campus hard in October of 2022. Several buildings were demolished. The school reopened in December of 2023 but then closed in October of 2024 after flooding from Hurricane Milton. Students were first sent to San Carlos Park Elementary School that year, before attending Heights Elementary School last year. Students are scheduled to attend Heights Elementary School again next year in combined classrooms.

The school board approved a tentative agreement in May to give the Town of Fort Myers Beach the Fort Myers Beach Elementary School and campus. The plan would also requite the town to provide the school board a work plan outlining the scope, cost and timeline of improvements within 120 days of the agreement’s effective date.

Following the school board’s approval, Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay told the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council in May that he would be seeking an extension of that deadline.

McKannay did not respond to emails seeking an update regarding his request.

School District of Lee County spokesperson Rob Spicker said on Monday that the school district just received the request for the extension today and “will be reviewing it.”

McKannay told the board in May he had recently met with officials from Education Freedom Foundation, the charter school consulting and management company run by Erika Donalds, wife of Rep. Byron Donalds. Rep. Donalds, who is running for governor, had been involved in a conference call with Allers, Carlin and school board member Samuel Fisher last year in which the possibility of the elementary school becoming a charter school was raised.

McKannay also told the town council in May that he wants to expand allowable uses of the building within three years to non-educational or non-civic uses, for both educational and civic uses.

He also wants the agreement to allow for town staffing issues or a financial crisis to be reasons for the breaking of any agreement with the school district.

Kohler said applications will be accepted through Sept. 10. To submit an application, email Town of Fort Myers Beach Clerk Amy Baker at Amy@FMBgov.com, or mail Town of Fort Myers Beach, Attn: Town Clerk, 6231 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, FL 33931.

More information on the charter committees is available on the Town of Fort Myers Beach website at: https://www.fortmyersbeachfl.gov/64/Advisory-Boards-and-Committees

Fort Myers Beach Observer Editor Nathan Mayberg can be reached at NMayberg@breezenewspapers.com