PRO

"THIS IS A POSITIVE MOVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY..."

"WE STRONGLY FEEL THAT GIVEN THE PARENT AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND SUPPORT, ALL THE 'RIGHT STUFF' IS IN PLACE FOR STUDENT SUCCESS THROUGH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. WE CAN DO IT; WE SHOULD DO IT."

"GREAT IDEA"

"I THINK THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY TO GO. LET'S START THINKING OF OUR CHILDREN."

"WHY NOT THRU GRADE 9?"

"STRONGLY SUPPORT SCHOOL ON SANIBEL. WE HAVE COME OF AGE - TREAT US [THE] SAME."

"...WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO VOLUNTEER OUR TIME IN WHATEVER WAY WE ARE NEEDED."

"THIS IS, NO DOUBT, THE BEST POSSIBLE THING FOR THE CHILDREN OF SANIBEL!!"

CON

"A THREAT EXISTS IF EXPANSION MADE TO K-8. WE DON'T NEED A MAGNET SCHOOL ON ISLAND."

PRO

"I HAD TWO GIRLS GO THROUGH ELEMENTARY AND HOW I PRAYED AT THAT TIME IT [SCHOOL EXPANSION] WOULD HAPPEN, BUT NOW I HAVE ANOTHER CHANCE. WE ALL HOPE."

"WE ARE DEFINITELY INTERESTED IN EXPLORING THIS OPPORTUNITY. WE HAVE CONCERNS BUT FEEL IF THE COMMUNITY IS SUPPORTIVE, WE CAN WORK OUT PROBLEMS THAT ARISE."

"I BELIEVE THE EXPANSION WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH THE CITY OF SANIBEL'S VISION STATEMENT, WHICH IS A PART OF THE STATE-MANDATED SANIBEL PLAN, IN THAT IT WOULD PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN THE COMMUNITY BY ALLOWING FAMILIES TO REMAIN ON THE ISLAND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL EDUCATION."

"WE FEEL ...CHILDREN SHOULD NOT HAVE TO GO TO A SCHOOL THAT IS LOCATED 20 MILES FROM THEIR HOME."

"WE FEEL THAT THIS PROPOSED SANIBEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EXPANSION THROUGH 8TH GRADE WOULD BE EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL TO SANIBEL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES."

"I THINK THE EXPANSION OF THE SANIBEL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE 8TH GRADE IS A WONDERFUL IDEA. I ONLY WISH THAT WHEN I ATTENDED THE SCHOOL DURING THE 70'S THAT WE HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL."

"THIS WOULD ALLOW TREMENDOUS SAVINGS OF VALUABLE TIME FOR BOTH STUDENT AND PARENT TO BE USED IN A MORE PRODUCTIVE & ENRICHING WAY."

"THANK GOODNESS THIS ISSUE IS BEING ADDRESSED."

"IT'S A SAFE, FAMILY-TYPE ENVIRONMENT AND WE FEEL THE EDUCATION OUR CHILDREN HAVE RECEIVED HERE [IS] EQUIVALENT TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WHEN OUR 14 YEAR OLD WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL SHE DID NOT GET HOME UNTIL 5 [PM] - DURING SEASON AS LATE AS 6:30 [PM]!"

"MY TWELVE YEAR [OLD] SON... ATTENDED CLMS THIS YEAR AND HAD A VERY HARD TRANSITION, HE REACTED BADLY TO THE CHANGE, AND NOW IS IN ALC. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED."

"ONE OF THE REASONS WE REMAIN ON SANIBEL IS THE QUALITY EDUCATION..."

"I THINK THE STABILITY OF STAYING IN THE SAME SCHOOL THROUGH OUT THOSE TOUGH PRE-ADOLESCENCE YEARS WOULD BE NOTHING OTHER THAN BENEFICIAL FOR MY DAUGHTERS."

"IF THIS EXPANSION DOES NOT HAPPEN, I WILL MOST LIKELY OPT FOR A PRIVATE SCHOOL. THIS MEANS ALOT TO OUR WHOLE FAMILY."

CON

"WE FEEL BY 6TH GRADE OUR CHILDREN NEED A TASTE FOR THE 'REAL WORLD'..."

"...I FEEL THIS IS A MATTER OF PARENTS LOOKING PAST THE NEEDS OF THE CHILD FOR MORE CONVIENCE (SIC)."

"THE SCHOOL IS DILAPIDATED AND HASN'T RECEIVED THE DISTRICT'S ATTENTION IT DESERVES. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE WITH K - 8 UNTIL WE GET BETTER REPRESENTATION."

PRO

"THE OUTCOME OF THIS ISSUE WILL STRONGLY AFFECT OUR DECISION TO REMAIN SANIBEL RESIDENTS..."

"NO COMMUTE, BETTER COMMUNITY, MORE CONTROL AND INVOLVEMENT."

"WE BELIEVE THAT THE LESS TIME WASTED ON COMMUTING, AND THE MORE TIME SPENT ON LEARNING, THE BETTER FOR OUR CHILDREN!"

"I HAVE LEFT FOR WORK MANY MANY TIMES AND SEEN TEN YEAR OLDS WAITING IN THE DARK FOR THE SCHOOL BUS! MANY SANIBEL CHILDREN ARE RIDING THE BUS 2 1/2 HOURS ONE WAY FOR A TOTAL OF A STAGGERING 5 HOURS PER DAY. THESE CHILDREN ARE BEING SET UP FOR FAILURE! WHEN CHILDREN ARE UP AT 5, GONE BY 6, AND NOT HOME UNTIL 5 OR SO, THERE IS LITTLE TIME FOR THE NECESSITIES OF CHILDHOOD....TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE FORCED TO MOVE ELSEWHERE BECAUSE THIS IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE CHOICE FOR THEIR CHILDREN."

"I WENT TO A SMALL TOWN SCHOOL THAT WAS 1 - 8. IT WAS GREAT! WHEN IN THE UPPER GRADES, WE HAD A CHANCE TO BE TEACHERS' HELPERS WITH THE LOWER GRADES. IT WAS A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR ALL."

CON