$1.2 million approved for repairs for FMB and Sanibel schools

Reporter: Haley Zarcone Writer: Elyssa Morataya
Published: Updated:

This hurricane season left an expensive mess at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and the Sanibel school, but who’s paying the $1.2 million price tag?

The money comes from capital funds, which in the coming years will hopefully be reimbursed by insurance or FEMA.

Parents told WINK News on Tuesday night that they’re ready to put this money to use and get their kids back on campus.

A resounding ‘yes’ approved $1.2 million for our island schools.

That money is going to the Sanibel School and Fort Myers Beach Elementary, both of which are still getting back on their feet nearly 2 months after Hurricane Milton.

“With Milton, we only got a couple inches of school in the water, a couple inches of water in the school. Problem is it’s taken a bit of time to get our kids back, and it’s tough,” John Koss, parent of a Fort Myers Beach student.

Although students at the Sanibel school went back on campus last week, the school district says work on cabinetry, plumbing, drywall and flooring is still underway. Which is keeping kids out of certain areas of the school.

Meanwhile on Fort Myers Beach:

“It’s been nine weeks. Okay? This the studies need to have been done by now. We at least need to have clarity. We’ve got fifth graders. It’s our last year in the school. They’re literally upset in tears at the thought … they might not be able to finish at our little school,” said Koss.

Koss, along with other parents came to speak during public comment in Tuesday night’s school district meeting.

With 2025 just weeks away, they’re ready for their students to be back at home base.

“When you have a third-grade kid that’s on a bus for four hours a day, you know we’re trying to teach our kids to love school and how great school can be, and it’s hard when you’re dealing with all that stuff.”
“So we just want the normalcy back.”

It’s too early to know how the over a million dollars will be divvied up, and the school district told WINK News that after Tuesday’s meeting, the contractor for FMB has not given them a timeline yet for students to be back on campus.

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