You don’t often see a Chamber of Commerce come out swinging over a controversial political issue, however, the Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce has done just that.
Standing behind the Fort Myers Beach Town Council, the Chamber has passed a resolution and written a strongly worded letter condemning the School District over its plan to demolish the Beach School.
The School District has taken steps to start the process of demolishing the 80-year old Beach School which is a Historical Building. They approved a resolution, without discussion, this week that was added to their agenda last minute. The item was added to the agenda without notifying anyone on the beach it would be coming up. Once members of the town’s ad-how committee with the district were tipped off to the agenda item, several raced to the Shcool Board meeting to speak at public comment, including beach resident John Koss and Mayor Dan Allers.
Here’s the full Chamber letter that was sent to Superintendant Carlin, the School Board, The Fort Myers beach Town Council, the media, other elected officials and the Governor.
The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce stands in strong support of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School (FMBE), its students, staff, parents, and the entire community. The Chamber expresses deep concern and disappointment regarding the October 7, 2025 vote by the Lee County School Board to raze the FMBE building, a decision added at the last minute to the consent agenda without any prior public notice or engagement.
The Fort Myers Beach community, Town Council, parents, and local businesses have acted in good faith for years to support FMBE. Following Hurricane Ian, the Town and School District entered into a legally binding Interlocal Agreement (ILA), which included a phased rebuilding plan, a cafeteria building, and provisions for expanding capacity as enrollment grows. Parents, Ad Hoc Committee members, and Town officials have honored the ILA and actively supported reopening and operating the school.
The School District has conducted multiple assessments, including the Castaldi Report, evaluating the campus’s viability, detailing building conditions, costs of repair, and operational limitations. While these studies acknowledge storm-related damage, the Chamber finds the School Board’s decision to demolish the school building without public discussion unacceptable, particularly given the availability of $11.34 million in FEMA disaster recovery funds, authorized under Section 428 of the Robert T. Stafford Act, designated to repair and restore FMBE.
The Town, staff, and Council have repeatedly emphasized their commitment to the ILA and rebuilding the school, expressing gratitude to Senator Scott, Senator Moody, and Congressman Donalds for their ongoing support in assisting Fort Myers Beach’s recovery. The FEMA funding is part of a broader $19.5 million project aimed at restoring all six main buildings impacted by storm surge and wind, repairing six ancillary structures, and bringing the school back to full pre-disaster function, design, and capacity within the existing footprint. The scope includes structural, roofing, windows, doors, interior finishes, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, fire alarm, sprinkler, and communications systems.
The Chamber emphasizes that the community has already contributed significant support and cost savings, including agreeing to send students to off-island locations rather than incur unnecessary expenses on portables, which freed funds to be used for the promised cafeteria building. Despite these efforts, the District has failed to honor its commitments under the ILA, including the phased rebuild plan, facilities, and operational funding.
The last-minute vote and lack of transparency violate the spirit and intent of the ILA, ignore years of community investment, and threaten student stability and educational continuity. Parents and students have already experienced disrupted learning, emotional distress, reduced enrollment, and instability in staffing due to the District’s actions and failure to communicate in a timely and transparent manner.
The Chamber calls on the Lee County School District to:
– Honor all obligations under the ILA, including phased rebuild plans, operational funding, and promised facilities.
– Cease actions that disrupt enrollment, staffing, or programs, including premature plans to consolidate or reassign students.
– Provide transparent, timely, and actionable communication to students, parents, and the community, including detailed plans, timelines, and updates regarding facilities, staffing, and program continuity.
– Acknowledge and utilize funds saved by parents agreeing to send students off-island, ensuring those funds are applied to the community-benefitting projects originally negotiated, such as the cafeteria building.
– The Chamber supports the Town of Fort Myers Beach in its mediation efforts to enforce the ILA and resolve grievances and will advocate for additional measures necessary to protect the school and students. Continued non-compliance or unilateral decisions by the District will have serious consequences, including potential legal action, erosion of public trust, and harm to the children and families of Fort Myers Beach.
The Fort Myers Beach Chamber of Commerce reaffirms its commitment to FMBE, its students, and the community, and urges the School District to immediately correct course, honor its agreements, and act with the transparency, integrity, and urgency that this community and its children deserve.