Sanibel school parents seek timeline on school reopening

A school board meeting took place on Tuesday in Lee County, and one item on the agenda was a discussion about the damage at the barrier islands’ schools, and concerns regarding buses and reopening dates.

WINK News has reported on parents of Sanibel School students who are frustrated that their children once again have to attend class off the island. It’s the same thing parents dealt with after Hurricane Ian.

Some parents want answers about bus routes, citing issues with students being stuck on hours-long bus rides.

They went as far as writing a letter to Governor DeSantis for help and attended Tuesday’s school board meeting.

WINK News anchor Annette Montgomery spoke with some parents who said they still haven’t received answers from the district.

The parents say it’s simple; they just want to know how bad the damage is to their child’s school and a timeline for when students can return.

The school district couldn’t give an answer to the second question, but for the first one, they said, “Inspections revealed damage that must be addressed.”

However, parents said that if these types of emails continue, their children will no longer attend school in Lee County.

For some Sanibel school parents, like the Fields, this isn’t their first rodeo with Lee County Schools, but they’re prepared for it to be their last.

“I would have thought that they would have learned after Ian, but unfortunately, that’s just not the case,” said Jesse Field, the father of two students at the Sanibel School.

“I’m getting the feeling that this is something that we’re going to have to deal with every year if a hurricane comes in. It’s unfortunate because the barrier islands get left behind, and I don’t really understand it,” he said.

After reaching out to the district, the school board and even the mayor and city council, parents went a step further.

“I immediately went to DeSantis because I knew dealing with a school board, same school board from Ian, that if we didn’t say something or do something, or ask our governor for some help, then it won’t get done timely,” said Erin Field, “He built the causeway back in three days. He could probably figure out a couple rooms at Sanibel.”

It’s not just an issue of where these children are going to school but also of the ride there and back.

“Friday, they ended up going out to Sanibel. They never stopped at the bus stop, so then they had to turn around and come back. So both days, they were on the bus for over two hours,” said Cheryl Thompson, grandmother of a Sanibel School student.

The school district of Lee County said the bus stop locations have not changed. However, the regular bus driver has been out sick, and sometimes, there are greater delays when a substitute bus driver is present.

The district told us the following email was sent to parents on Oct. 18:

Dear Sanibel School Staff and Families,

We hope that your children were warmly welcomed into their temporary space. The students and staff at Heights Elementary School are happy to host you during this transitional period.

We share your desire to get our students back to The Sanibel School. This communication is to provide you with an update on the progress.

Although not always visible to the naked eye, inspections have revealed damage to certain parts of the school that must be addressed.  Remediation efforts are underway, and we are finalizing the scope of work for permanent repairs. Our primary goal is to ensure a safe return to campus as soon as possible. While long-term repairs will continue, we are working on short-term stabilization and safety measures that may allow students and staff to return to portions of the campus while the work progresses.

To ensure this is done safely, we will conduct Indoor Air Quality Tests in the buildings under consideration for occupancy (Buildings 7, 10, 11, and 12). Additionally, we will install fencing to clearly separate the active construction zones from areas being used by students and staff. These precautions will help maintain a safe environment while the repairs continue.

We will continue to provide you with updates on the remediation and safety work and a possible date for a return to campus. Thank you again for your continued patience and understanding as we take precautions for the health, safety, and welfare of our staff and students.

Sincerely,

The School District of Lee County