Residents, alumni and clergy press school board to preserve historic Fessenden; criticize short notice for community meetings

Ocala — Dozens of residents, alumni and local clergy used the public-comment portion of the Marion County School Board’s March 25 meeting to urge the board to preserve Fessenden Elementary School and to criticize the district’s outreach about upcoming community meetings.

Several speakers said the district’s notice process left parents and community members little time to prepare. “These meetings are going to take place on Wednesday, March and on Thursday, March. Now there’s very little time for the community, the parents, the students, and the teachers to come together and collect their thoughts,” said Reverend Leroy Chandler during public comment. Chandler described Fessenden as a long-standing local institution: “For over 157 years, Fessenden has been the educational facility that has provided these attributes for both its students and its teachers.”

The concern over notification echoed across speakers. Pastor Mikael James said notices sent March 14 reached families on spring break and…