In response to the announcement of an $11.4 million award to The School District of Lee County from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to repair or rebuild Fort Myers Beach Elementary, the School District wants to ensure that the facts are correct. The award does not equate to additional funding to the School District of Lee County.
In 2022 during a special session, the Florida Legislature created the Legislative Appropriation Program (LAP) to provide loans in advance of funding through the FEMA Public Assistance Program to aid Hurricane Ian recovery and repair. LAP loans were issued by the Florida Department of Emergency Management. The School District applied for and received a $55 million loan. $51 million was disbursed in December 2023 and $4 million in August 2024. The scope of work included clean up, recovery, and repairs at 35 school sites, which included Fort Myers Beach Elementary.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the School District removed the destroyed classroom buildings at Fort Myers Beach Elementary and rebuilt the historic building so the school could be operational, in compliance with the Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Fort Myers Beach. Students returned to their school campus in December of 2023.
As part of receiving the LAP loan, the District was required to adhere to all contractual terms, including that if reimbursement funds or “awards” were received, those funds would be used to repay the LAP loan. Specifically, the contract with the Florida Department of Emergency Management states in Section D, “The Recipient certifies that should sufficient funds subsequently become available to meet the needs of the original budget amendment, the Recipient agrees to reimburse the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management in the amount of such funds subsequently received.” Thus, this clause specifically requires the $11.4 million award from FEMA to be credited against the School District’s LAP loan.
Further, due to the extent of the damage, enrollment, and anticipated floodplain elevation requirements, the School District filed claims for Fort Myers Beach Elementary under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Act, Section 428, to preserve the flexibility to use any LAP funds while discussing the school's future under the terms of the Interlocal Agreement with the Town of Fort Myers Beach. A Section 428 claim was also filed for Hector A. Cafferata Jr. Elementary. Under Section 428, Section C, “If the actual costs of a project completed under the procedures are less than the estimated costs thereof, the Administrator may permit a grantee or subgrantee to use all or part of the excess funds for— (i) cost-effective activities that reduce the risk of future damage, hardship, or suffering from a major disaster; and (ii) other activities to improve future Public Assistance operations or planning.” This FEMA Public Assistance strategy was designed to maximize how the School District might best fulfill its mission of serving more than 100,000 students.
The School District has submitted a claim worth $187 million to FEMA, which covers repairs to over 100 locations. The total amount FEMA has validated to date is $128 million, a difference of $59 million. The School District of Lee County has only received $12.8 million from FEMA. These funds were used for the immediate clean-up of school sites and debris removal. The remaining School District FEMA projects are advancing through the FEMA review process.
The School District looks forward to the continued collaboration with the Town of Fort Myers Beach to work within the framework of the interlocal agreement and determine the best path forward for Fort Myers Beach Elementary.