Fort Myers Beach leaders, parents press Lee County to honor interlocal agreement and reopen Beach Elementary

Fort Myers Beach held a special town council meeting May 28 where parents, business leaders and town officials urged the Lee County School District to honor an interlocal agreement that calls for a phased rebuild of Fort Myers Beach Elementary and a new permanent cafeteria. The council voted unanimously to direct the town manager and town attorney to “look into all possible options to ensure that the school district adheres to the ILA,” a motion moved by the vice mayor and seconded by Councilor King.

The parents' ad hoc committee framed the meeting as proof that community effort and partnerships have already begun to restore the school. "We are here as the parents of the ad hoc committee to represent our children in our community, to educate and to inform, and to ask for your assistance in ensuring that the school district honors the ILA that is in place," said Jenny Tardup Paradiso, treasurer of the PTO and an ad hoc committee member. The group described steady enrollment gains and community partnerships that they say should keep the school viable.

Why it matters: the interlocal agreement (ILA) signed after Hurricane Ian sets a four‑year schedule of benchmarks including renovation of the historic classroom building and construction of a separate cafeteria/kitchen facility. Parents and council members said the cafeteria component was supposed to be funded and underway this fiscal year and that its absence has increased distrust. "We were supposed to have a cafeteria building by the end of…