Fort Myers Beach Elementary could reopen as charter school

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (WINK)—Fort Myers Beach Elementary School has been closed for a little more than a year after taking in water from Hurricanes Helene and Milton, but the school board could take a step toward progress.

The School Board of Lee County is expected to review a proposal to approve a working agreement with the Town of Fort Myers Beach. The district says this shift could reduce operational expenses and allow the school to operate as a charter school in the future.

Tom Gressman remembers what it was like being a student at Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

"It was a bustling little school at the time. Fun. Nice place," Gressman said.

It's where Teresa and Rich Miller wanted their daughter Juniper to go when she was old enough.

"This island means a lot to us. And we have a three-year-old. She's not in school yet. But the thought of having her go to school down here is kind of always in the back of my mind," Teresa Miller said.

The students were relocated to different, neighboring schools within the School District of Lee County.

"There are several kids that live here and are going all inland to different schools, either riding the bus for a long time or going to a different charter school. It's really heartbreaking to just see no progress being made at all," Miller said.

Abigail Eberhart, the Town of Fort Myers Beach's public information officer, explained what the town hopes to accomplish.

"We're just hoping that they deed us over the land so that we can take control of this school and hopefully have a new start for our Fort Myers Beach Elementary students," Eberhart said.

The school isn't ready for students yet, but there's hope for the future.

"It isn't able to be inhabited by students yet, but we do hope that if we get the deed and then we do a little bit of fundraising, we can open the school in the next year or two," Eberhart said.

That timeline could work perfectly for Juniper's first day of school.

"We've got two-ish years until she would be in kindergarten. So now the thought is much more in my mind of where she's going to go," Miller said.

The school board meeting was expected to start at 6 p.m. on Tuesday. WINK News will provide updates whenever they become available.