Beach Elementary students returning to classes at San Carlos Park Elementary

By NATHAN MAYBERG nmayberg@breezenewspapers com

Fort Myers Beach Elementary School students will be returning to classes Thursday but at another school Beach Elementary School students, who have been out of school since Hurricane Ian began, will start attending San Carlos Park Elementary School on Thursday

Lee County Schools spokesperson Robert Spicker said there is currently “no timeline” on when Fort Myers Beach Elementary School might open “When appropriate, the beach community will be invited to be a part of the process,” he said

“The damage is significant,” Spicker said “We are only at the beginning of determining how to rebuild the school ” Beach school families are invited to a s t u d e n t r e u n i f i c a t i o n e v e n t o n Wednesday from 3 p m to 5 p m at San Carlos Park, Spicker said “This is an opportunity for the students to reconnect with their teachers and tour their partner school so they can start to become familiar with their new surroundings It is also a n o p p o r t u n i t y t o g e t a n y q u e s t i o n s answered and work with staff about establishing bus stops closer to where they are now living if they have not already done so ”

The school day schedule will not change Classes start at 7:55 a m and dismiss at 2:10 p m

“The only thing that will be different for students is the campus they are on,” Spicker said

“We have tried to establish as normal a school day as possible for Fort Myers B e a c h E l e m e n t a r y a t t h e i r p a r t n e r school,” Spicker said “San Carlos Park Elementary has taken great steps to create space and welcome both the students and staff ”

All of the School District of Lee County's 80 PreK through 12th grade schools will offer students “a learning environment” by Friday, with a handful to provide virtual or combined campuses for classes

The week started with 13 schools opening on Monday Another 13 schools p l u s t h r e e s p e c i a l c e n t e r s o p e n e d Tuesday. The largest group of schools, 42, will open on Wednesday Five more will open on Thursday and the final schools will return to teaching and learning on Friday