Sanibel Elementary School Expansion Project

The Optimist Club of Sanibel-Captiva hosted an informational meeting at the Island House Restaurant.  About 45 people attended the meeting, including parents, community members and a member of City Council.  The discussion covered the addition of portables and computers planned for next year and the specifics of the changes in curriculum, including block scheduling to offer more concentrated study.  The rec program is going to offer some fee-based programs beginning next year to help allow for more variety and structure.

There is a planned program of study for grades six, seven and eight.  The schedule of classes of the 1999 - 2000 sixth grade has been developed along with course descriptions.  A curriculum/technology specialist, Louise Taylor, has been hired to replace a staff member who is leaving Sanibel School.  She was introduced at a meeting of parents of the fifth graders at Sanibel Elementary on January 26.  The after school rec program is also getting some attention as accommodations are being made for sixth graders to ensure everyone has access to quality programs.

About 150 islanders came to hear the presentation and show their support.  This showing made an impression on the board members who recognized that the community is behind the concept.  Alex Cook made the presentation to the School Board, and we were given their full support!   While there was no formal vote, each board member spoke to their belief that the expansion was a good idea and should be carried out.

We will begin to develop curriculum under the guidance of our principal Barbara Von Harten while Dr. Bruce Harter, Superintendent, takes our proposal forward to the plaintiffs in the lawsuit the county is currently involved in.  Our children in K-5 grades are exempt from School Choice and are not bused off the islands.   Unless our 6th, 7th and 8th grade kids choose a school on the mainland, they would stay on island as well.  Transportation times/costs were the major motivating factor in getting this expansion, and the hope is that the plaintiff will recognize the unique and difficult situation our island kids are in.  The financial committment to the expansion will come when the School Board votes on their budget in early December.  This is a step we will monitor, but we have every indication that our request will move forward and we will have a 6th grade on Sanibel next year!  To see the proposal we presented, click here.

A meeting was held with Dr. Bruce Harter, Dr. Ande Albert and Dr. Jane Kuckel from the county and Alex Cook, Susie Holly, Jacque Owens and Barbara Von Harten from the SAC sub-committee. There was a review of the proposal and of information gathered to date.  With minor modifications, Dr. Harter offered a plan for carrying out the remodeling and expansion of the school as proposed by the SAC K-8 subcommittee. He sees this as an opportunity for the county to create a unique school that could be a model of educational excellence, while at the same time addressing the needs of island families. He agreed to a timeline that would phase in grades 6-8 one year at a time, beginning in 1999-2000. Students would be housed in portables until new construction occurred, beginning in 2000-01. The K-8 proposal will go to the school board on September 22 with the support of the superintendent and his staff. This approach is a cost-effective, long-term solution which addresses the issues brought forth by the island families and the county.

A public forum with Sanibel parents, SAC members, and Jane Kuckel and Ande Albert from the county was held at the elementary school.  The results of the proposal were presented and the meeting was turned over to Ande Albert to update the community on the financial impact of the school.  His indication was that any addition built would have to be higher than the existing structure, and that would present the county with some problems, most notably that it would be too expensive.  There was a good deal of public input and questions.  In the end, it was pointed out that the staff makes their recommendation, but the board is the one who makes the decision on whether to expand.  There is compelling evidence that, in the long run, not only would the expansion benefit students and community, but the county would have spent their money in a fiscally responsible manner.

School Board members received a copy of the Proposal.

Craig Albert, Susie Holly, Jacque Owens from Sanibel met with Mr. Rick Gutknecht at the County building on Central Avenue.  The meeting was a discussion of the cost to add grades 6,7, and 8 to Sanibel Elementary.  After much discussion, it was found that to rebuild Sanibel Elementary K-5 it would cost $4 million and to build it K-8 it would cost $4.8 million.  Capacity of the school would be 525.  The $2 million renovation project was discussed as well, and it revealed that after that expenditure, Sanibel Elementary's capacity would be 244 (there are 269 students there now).

A meeting was held between several members of the SAC including Craig Albert, Monica Albert, Jean Baer, Alex Cook (by phone), Jay Richter, Maureen Herrick, Susie Holly, Jacque Owens, Dave Owens, Toni Shannon, Barbara Von Harten.  Ande Albert, Don Campbell, Jane Kuckel, and Betsy Russell attended from the county.  In the staff's presentation, it was brought up that the current school is substandard and if a study were done to determine its adequacy, it would probably show that the school needs replacement, even for the K-5 portion.  A dollar figure of $6 million was mentioned to rebuild the school and add the grades 6, 7, and 8.  There was a great deal of discussion about the source of that number, and a meeting was set up between Craig Albert, Susie Holly, Jacque Owens from Sanibel with Mr. Rick Gutknecht, who works out of Ande Albert's office (in facilities). 

Barbara Von Harten met with the Superintendant's Cabinet, area elementary school principals, and county staff to meet the requirements for a unique school proposal.   In all of these meetings, support for the concept was shown. 

Site visits of comparable K-8 schools in Key Largo and Plantation Key.

SAC meeting to discuss proposal as it stands for submission to principals and then on to the Lee County School Board.

The City Council of Sanibel passed a resolution supporting the efforts of expansion of Sanibel Elementary to include a grades 6, 7, and 8.

There was a meeting between Lee County and the Sanibel School Foundation Group.   Jane Kuckel, Assistant Superintendent of Schools was there from Lee County and Alex Cook, Leslie Cook, Susie Holly and Jacque Owens were there from SSF and Barbara represented Sanibel Elementary.  It was a very positive meeting.  Leslie presented Dr. Kuckel the results of our surveys showing a 75% response rate from the elementary school with over 95% showing support for the concept.  The 300 surveys sent randomly to islanders to measure community support are just starting to come back in 20% since their mailing five days ago.  Of those that came in, over 95% were positive with comments like "It's about time!"  All this data was presented to meet the requirement that the community be surveyed and show a generally positive reaction.

Alex Cook discussed the Sanibel School Foundation status.  We would like to use the umbrella organization already established within the county for the Sanibel foundation which allows us to "piggy-back" on their legal status while maintaining independence as a board and with our funds.

There was discussion about the status of the renovation of the existing school.   The timing of this expansion project seems to be perfectly in line with the upcoming and long-awaited renovation project.  Combining the two efforts is the obvious way to maximize the value of the dollars spent, expanding while we upgrade. 

The next phase is to complete an application for a unique school.  Conceptually, it must be shown that there is a unique need on Sanibel for this expansion.  The legal, financial, transportation, and policy implications of the school will have to be addressed.  The application goes through a great deal of review, by principals at other middle schools, parents, teachers, Lee County staff until finally it goes to the School Board.  The target date for review by the School Board is August.  The timeline for the school is to have at least a 6th grade in place for the kids entering that grade in the 1999 - 2000 school year.

Three hundred surveys were mailed to property owners on Sanibel.  Included with the return-postage-paid survey was a cover letter explaining our project and encouraging return of the survey.

Surveys went home with Sanibel Elementary School students to measure support for the school expansion among parents on the island.  Teachers distributed the surveys to kids who were to have their parents fill them out and return them to school or to Alex Cook directly.  Surveys also went out to the pre-schools on the island - Rabbit Road Center for Children, Children Center of the Islands and Montessori School.  These surveys were requested to be turned back in to the pre-school office.

A SAC meeting was held at Sanibel Elementary and time was afforded to discuss both School Choice and the expansion project.  Representatives from Lee County were there including Jane Kuckel, Don Campbell, Ande Albert and Betsy Russell (from the School Choice office).  Also there were representatives from Bonita Middle School and Cypress Middle School.  Keith Owens addressed the Choice issue and there was discussion about the length of bus ride for kids going to Bonita Middle School.  The county is working to determine the length of the bus ride, and until that is known, families will not be considered for waivers based on the transportation premise.  For the expansion project, Alex Cook spoke.  He went over the draft survey.  The county representatives made a suggestion to discuss the pros and cons to expansion.  They went on to bring up issues such as difficulty in finding certified teachers, limited funding due to the small number of students on the island (relative to other schools), administrative issues that would make running a school of that small size hard.  On the positive side were all the things that are obvious to families who live out here: more time for kids in school instead of in transport; community and parent involvement in the educational process; continuation of the quality education that our kids at Sanibel Elementary now get.  The discussion was a good one, and the administrative and financial issues that bind the county staff everyday were brought out while the educational and child-centered issues that are so important to parents were aired as well.   The survey will be distributed to all kids at Sanibel Elementary, all families at the three pre-schools on the island and to a random sample of 300 island property owners.