By City of Fort Myers' Councilwoman Dr. Ann Murphy Knight
I would like to take this opportunity to share my
views and opinions of the "other side of the coin" concerning the recycling of a
high school in Dunbar with you. Going back as far as I can recall (having been born
and raised in Dunbar), the Dunbar High School has been a topic of conversation. For
many years, extending back to the time I attended in the 1950's, Dunbar High lacked new
books, equipment, and the band had no uniforms or musical instruments, just an old
recycled drum. These conditions existed because Dunbar was an all Black community
and the Lee County School Board was not committed to providing equitable educational
opportunities for all of Lee County's boys and girls.
Now, fifty years later, history is about to repeat itself. In the late
'60's the present Dunbar Middle School was a high school. Even at that time, the school
was not approved for accreditation as a high school. There were many deficiencies.
Therefore, the high school became a holding school until a new high school was built. The
School Board at that time decided not to build in Dunbar, but built a new high school
farther east, Riverdale High School. The Dunbar High School located on Edison Avenue
became downgraded to a middle school. It is fair to say that this same campus has been
recycled three different schools in previous years. Now a decision has been made to
recycle the facility back into a high school which did not meet standards in the past, and
move a successfully, highly recognized middle school hosting a gifted center out of
Dunbar.
The City has made every effort to offer their services in providing a
middle and high school that could be located on the same campus with the School Board
purchasing the adjacent land to the present site. This would cost the taxpayers less and
would serve a community that has always been neglected and would be in the best interest
of our children. The millennium is upon us and the children in the Dunbar Community are
still carrying the greatest percentage of the burden of bussing. Forget about politics and
do what is best for our children. How can the Dunbar Community be a part of the School
Choice plan if there are no choices within Dunbar?
Are we back where we started over 30 years ago? Is this the fairness
that "unitary status" brings to the school district? Hasn't the Dunbar Community
paid enough "dues" to be entitled to a brand new state of the art high school?
Yes, I highly recommend to our present Lee County School Board Members
and the Superintendent to do what is equitable and fair to a very neglected Dunbar
community:
