Will Fort Myers Beach Elementary get rebuilt after Ian?

Emotions are running high as parents fight to learn more about their child’s school.

Hurricane Ian did a number on Fort Myers Beach Elementary, and parents want answers, particularly to the question of will Lee County schools rebuild.

Several mothers and fathers WINK News spoke to said Fort Myers Beach Elementary means everything to them. The thought of Lee County schools not rebuilding is unbearable.

For those who call Fort Myers Beach home, like Marcia and Greg Scasny, the elementary school was more than a building for their children.

“The hub of the community,” Marcia and Greg said.

Neighbors on the island believe, like Erin Field, their elementary school didn’t just teach them; it shaped them.

“I grew up going to beach school most of my friends my whole life are from beach school,” Field said.

And that same school was the school their children would eventually attend.

“It’s where we met other parents. That’s where we got involved with little league,” Marcia and Greg said.

What the parents of the children that attend the school want most is a commitment from the school district and from Fort Myers Beach city council that they will rebuild the school.

“Every one of those kids that beach school, some of them lost their homes completely, they all lost most of their possessions. They lost their daily routine, they lost their ball fields, they lost their… they lost everything,” Marcia and Greg said.

Parents told WINK News a decision not to rebuild the school would be unacceptable.

“What it means to us is that we lose our community,” Marcia and Greg said.

Lee County school board member Debbie Jordan said on Monday the school board is assessing the damage.

“We are assessing every possibility before a decision is made,” Jordan said.

The next school board meeting is a week from Tuesday, and the parents told WINK News they’ll be there to ensure they are heard.