Fort Myers Beach Elementary welcomes students back with ribbon-cutting event

Reporter: Tiffany Rizzo Writer: Carolina Guzman
Published: Updated:
Fort Myers Beach Elementary School ribbon cutting ceremony

Fort Myers Beach Elementary School is ready to welcome back students for the first time since Hurricane Ian.

This comes after months of debate on whether to shut down the school after Hurricane Ian destroyed it more than a year ago.

Parents have been fighting to keep the school open.

The district listened and began renovating the historic building this fall, there was a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning.

The Lee County School District leaders attended the ribbon cutting at the Elementary school along with children, parents and school staff.

“Surreal moment to be able to come together, finally return home and feel like we’re a part of the community again,” said Traci Kohler, the principal of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

“We’re just really happy to have the kids back home where they can be comfortable and excited to be back in their own space,” said Jenna Nunamaker, a second-grade teacher at Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

There is a condition to keep Fort Myers Beach Elementary School open with the district: the school needs to keep a certain number of enrolled students attending.

Currently, there are 50 students enrolled with the maximum set at 150 kids. As the school grows, they are also prepared to add more facilities.

The district will work with the school over the next year or two to ensure enrollment numbers stay up.

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