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Parents and school representatives urge Atlantic Beach to sustain grants for Fletcher Band and local schools
Summary
Multiple parents and program representatives asked the commission to keep school programs eligible for ARC grant funds and to honor the committee recommendations. The commission allocated $20,000 to schools and scheduled a workshop to finalize distribution.
A string of speakers during public comment on Sept. 22 thanked the commission for prior support and urged continued funding for school programs, including the Fletcher High School band and Atlantic Beach Elementary’s STEM pilot. Becky Jansen, a Fletcher parent and Atlantic Beach Elementary teacher, told the commission that music programs build discipline and give students a sense of belonging. "Your continued commitment helps make these opportunities possible," she said.
Several other parents and program representatives — including Dabney McCreary (band booster coordinator) and Stephanie Trefry (Friends of Atlantic Beach Elementary) — outlined program needs: transportation, instruments, uniforms and competition fees. Trefry said the city’s $10,000 ARC committee recommendation for Atlantic Beach Elementary will support STEM expansion and robotics kits and that she planned to return with a midyear progress update.
Commissioners confirmed that $20,000 has been allocated in the ARC recommendations for schools (a $10,000 Fletcher allocation had been discussed as part of that total), but that the commission would hold a workshop two meetings hence to receive presentations from schools and decide final allocations. Mayor Ford said he expects neighboring beach cities to consider matching funds and noted that Neptune Beach had signaled interest in matching $5,000 for the Fletcher Band.
The commission did not take a final, itemized vote on each school at this meeting but set the workshop timeline and affirmed the $20,000 total for school-related grants in the FY2025–26 budget.
