Fort Myers Beach directs staff to press FEMA, legal avenues over school rebuilding funds

Mayor Dan Allers and Town Manager Will McKinney told the Fort Myers Beach Town Council on Sept. 24 that the town will press federal and state officials for clarity after receiving what staff called an inadequate response from the Lee County School District about FEMA grant funding tied to Fort Myers Beach Elementary School.

The council voted by consensus to direct staff to work with the town attorney and the town’s lobbyists and to seek assistance from federal representatives to determine whether district-allocated FEMA funds originally tied to the Beach school have been reallocated. The move follows public-records requests from the town and an exchange with congressional staff and FEMA.

Town Manager Will McKinney told the council that Representative information showed FEMA grant money had been “allocated and distributed to Lee County Schools for the renovation and rebuilding of Fort Myers Beach Elementary School” totaling “over $11,000,000,” and that the district responded that the money was part of prior allocations. McKinney said his follow-up public-records request for project worksheets and any requests to FEMA about redistributing funds produced material he considered insufficient.

Mayor Dan Allers read an email from FEMA summarizing the agency’s position on alternative projects: “FEMA has not received from the state a request for an alternative project.” He said that language indicated FEMA had not approved any reallocation of funding tied to the Beach school as of the agency’s response.

Councilors asked the town attorney to review the interlocal agreement (ILA) with the school district alongside the FEMA correspondence. Vice Mayor Jim Aderholt and others urged a parallel path: continue working with district staff while pursuing clarity from FEMA and congressional offices. Council members said many parents and residents are seeking a timeline and clear commitments for temporary and long-term school facilities.

The council directed staff to return at a future meeting with recommended next steps, including legal options and steps to pursue clarity from FEMA and federal representatives. Town officials said they would coordinate with Senator Rick Scott’s office and Representative staff who had previously inquired on the town’s behalf.

Background: the town manager said the town had submitted public-records requests after receiving information from a congressional office about FEMA funding and that the district had supplied some materials but not the specific clarity the town sought. The town will pursue FEMA’s records and may ask the town attorney to explore contractual or legal remedies under the interlocal agreement.

The council did not vote on litigation at the Sept. 24 meeting; members asked staff to prepare options for council consideration at a subsequent meeting.