Lee County responds to safety risks at temporary Franklin Park Elementary site

Franklin Park Elementary School welcomed students back to their temporary campus on Marsh Avenue again one week after a staff member made serious allegations.

“The teachers’ portables are still missing the silent alarm system that trips for a lockdown drill,” an anonymous staff member at Franklin Park Elementary said.

These are serious concerns about safety and security at the temporary Franklin Park Elementary site in Lee County. Parents and staff said they’re worried about doors that don’t lock and alarm systems that don’t work.

WINK News brought these claims to Debbie Jordan, a Lee County school board member whose district it falls under.

While most of the complaints centered around the look and feel of the campus, which is under construction. The most serious claim is the silent alarms didn’t work, as required by law.

“My concern is that we would even be discussing security out loud. That is something that we want to make sure and preserve, our schools are safe, and they are secured. All of them. And I will say that again, they are safe, and they are secured,” Jordan said.

Jordan has seen the Franklin Elementary reporting on WINK News and admits the trailers aren’t brand new. But, she, along with district staff, has been at the Marsh Ave. site daily as construction crews work to finalize the temporary campus.

“They have been diligent to go in there; they’re there every single day, you know, checking everything, making sure that the door and our doors are secured. So the doors are secured. And the grounds are secured as well,” Jordan said.

Jordan had a clear message to parents, students, and staff members.

“When I’m there, and I see those kids who are smiling, the parents, and they’re hugging on their teachers, they’re excited about being there. Is it the, you know, their brick-and-mortar school? No, it is not. But when they go back to that school, they’re gonna be even happier,” Jordan said.

Tuesday afternoon, the school district said the alarms are now hooked up. All the doors have the required locks, the air filters have been replaced, and the roof’s been repaired.

Jordan said construction crews had worked hard to address every concern.

“We have a team of people from the district, our maintenance, and we have a person who is in charge of overseeing all of that. So we have people who are there taking care of a punch list. if you will, as if you were building a new home, you know, what has to be fixed. So, they’re taking those lists, and they’re going down the list and taking care of that stuff,” Jordan said.

Lee County schools promised to rebuild Franklin Park Elementary in 2018 when taxpayers approved a half-cent sales tax. All but one classroom building and the gym will be torn down.

The new school is scheduled to open Aug. 2024.