Atlantic Beach commission awards $7,500 each to Atlantic Beach Elementary and Mayport Middle, $5,000 to Fletcher band with matching condition

The Atlantic Beach City Commission voted on Oct. 27 to allocate $20,000 in school grant funding, awarding $7,500 to Atlantic Beach Elementary, $7,500 to Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School and $5,000 to the Fletcher High School band, with the Fletcher award contingent on at least $5,000 in matching funds from one or both sister cities.

Commissioners heard roughly an hour of public comment from school leaders, program representatives and residents before debating how to divide the commission’s $20,000 set-aside for school grants. "Our request is for $10,000 to support 3 important areas that directly benefit all of our 500 students at Atlantic Beach Elementary — our STEM classroom, the robotics team, and our much-needed art supplies," said Stephanie Trefry, representing Friends of Atlantic Beach Elementary. She told commissioners the school receives about $200 per year from Duval County Public Schools for art and sought supplemental support for materials and competition fees.

Aaron Lecatos, principal of Mayport Coastal Sciences Middle School, described a summer enrichment program and a robust slate of arts and recreation offerings, and he highlighted the school’s robotics program and national competition experience as a reason to continue city support. Heather Olsen, representing the Mayport Robotics Club, urged the commission not to change application requirements after submissions were made, saying, "It feels unfair to change the requirements after the fact, especially when so many groups followed the guidelines as they were given." Several Fletcher band parents and fundraisers described long-term program commitments and student outcomes, including scholarships; Dabney McCreary, fundraising chair for the Fletcher band, said last year’s seniors earned about $1.2 million in scholarship awards.

During deliberations commissioners reviewed recent award history and current requests. Deputy City Manager Kevin Hoogenkamp reminded the commission that last year Mayport Middle received $7,500 for a transition program and $3,500 for robotics while Fletcher received $10,000, and that the commission previously budgeted $20,000 for school grants this year. Commissioners debated whether to hold funding contingent on matching contributions from Neptune Beach and Jacksonville Beach. Staff and the mayor said they had preliminary assurance from a Neptune Beach official that a match might be possible if applicants pursue that route.

After multiple proposals and an amendment, the commission approved the motion to allocate $7,500 to Atlantic Beach Elementary, $7,500 to Mayport Middle and $5,000 to Fletcher High School band, with the Fletcher award contingent on at least a $5,000 match from one or both sister cities. The motion carried; one commissioner recorded a dissenting vote during roll call.

The commission asked Fletcher supporters to follow up with neighboring cities to secure the matching funds and asked program leaders to provide counts of how many participants live inside Atlantic Beach. The meeting then moved briefly to other enhancement-budget topics before the mayor adjourned the workshop.

The commission’s formal vote allocates the amounts above from the commission’s school grant budget; commissioners did not change the larger ARC committee’s recommendations for the full ARC pool at this meeting. Staff will handle the administrative steps to distribute awarded funds and verify any required matches.