Parents and staff urge Lee County board to pause plan to move Buckingham Exceptional Student Center

Dozens of parents, teachers and volunteers urged the Lee County School Board on April 14 to halt or reconsider a plan to relocate the Buckingham Exceptional Student Center to the Royal Palm campus, saying the move would jeopardize medical care, daily supervision and Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals for medically fragile students.

"Buckingham is a home away from home," said John Anderson, who identified himself as the parent of a second‑grader at Buckingham. "We're here tonight to respectfully ask that you reconsider that decision." Anderson and other speakers described students who require daily nursing care, feeding plans, tube feedings, seizure management and frequent medical interventions.

Parents raised specific operational concerns they say could be compromised by a site change: access to in‑class kitchens and refrigeration for blended nutrition, private bathrooms and toileting spaces for students with incontinence, temperature‑controlled interior hallways for students with serious thermoregulation problems, and continuity of staff and therapists. "Removing our students and staff from this familiar environment leaves room for unnecessary changes and potentially exposes these district children to harm," said Vanessa Pagan, a parent whose daughter is in Buckingham's program.

Several speakers asked the district to review each student's IEP with the IEP team before any relocation, saying a change in setting could make goals infeasible. "Without review, the goals and objectives included in the IEPs may be compromised when students are placed in a setting that doesn't yet meet their safety and adaptive needs," said Katie Peterson, who identified herself as a parent and parent liaison at Buckingham.

Staff and community volunteers echoed the parents' concerns. "Buckingham is functioning not simply as a location, but as a specialized environment of care," said Diana Gordick, a teacher on assignment at Buckingham. Russell Smith, a longtime volunteer, said parents had been given only that the district would "try" to keep students safe during site changes, which he called unacceptable.

Deputy Superintendent Dr. Kenneth Savage told the board the district's intent is to "create a world‑class exceptional center" and to optimize services by consolidating programs, saying the change is aimed at improving access to facilities and specialized staff. Dr. Savage provided enrollment figures during discussion later in the meeting, saying Buckingham currently serves about 77 students and Royal Palm about 117, for roughly 194 students combined. He stressed that transportation planning would preserve program distinctions and said district staff held an open house and will continue stakeholder engagement.

Board members and administrators said the relocation is an operational decision carried out by the superintendent's office rather than a board vote, but several members pledged additional engagement and outreach. The chair and board members encouraged families to attend an upcoming town hall at Lehigh Middle School and said staff will present safety plans, facility modification details and timetables. One board member said the planned transition would begin in August.

What happens next: the district scheduled further community outreach and a town hall to answer parents' questions and review safety and IEP transition planning. The district also committed to share specifics on facility adaptations, transportation arrangements and staff assignments before students transfer.