School Accessibility Concerns

I'M JENNIFER CRAWFORD. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US IN EARLY APRIL, PARENTS OF STUDENTS AT BUCKINGHAM EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S STATING THAT THEIR CHILDREN WITH THE MOVE TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL NEXT YEAR. THE BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL CHILDREN HAVE SPECIAL MEDICAL NEEDS IN THE FALL OF 2026, THEY WILL BE MOVED TO ROYAL PALM EXCEPTIONAL SCHOOL WHICH EDUCATES CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIORAL NEEDS. THE LEE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT'S STATES THAT EACH SCHOOL POPULATION WILL BE SEPARATED UNDER ONE ROOF AND THAT THE ROYAL PALM SCHOOL WILL BE MODIFIED TO ACCOMMODATE THE SPECIAL PHYSICAL NEEDS OF THE KIDS FROM BUCKINGHAM. AND THAT ALL TEACHERS SUPPORT STAFF AND ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT WILL ALSO BE MOVED FROM BUCKINGHAM TO ROYAL PALM. BUT PARENTS OF BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE STILL WORRIED THAT THEIR CHILDREN'S NEEDS WILL NOT BE MET AT ROYAL PALM. >> WGCU REPORTER DAYNA HARPSTER HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THE STORY IN JOINS US NOW. DANA, WHAT ARE PARENTS SAYING ABOUT THIS DECISION? >> AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING LAST WEEK ABOUT 2 DOZEN PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL EXPRESSED THEIR CONCERNS ABOUT THE MOVE TO WELL PALM. AND THERE WERE SOME VERY EMOTIONAL PLEAS. WGCU HAS LEARNED. THE DECISION, THOUGH, IS NOT MADE BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT BY THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION MEETING SUPERINTENDENT DENISE CARLIN AND HER STAFF AND IT DID NOT REQUIRE A BOARD VOTE. THEREFORE, THE BOARD, AT LEAST FOR NOW HAS LIMITED SAY, IN THE MATTER BODY CAM SCHOOL PARENT LIAISON KATIE PETERSON SPOKE TO WGCU ABOUT HER CONCERNS FOR THE 77 STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL, INCLUDING HER OWN DAUGHTER. >> SO SHE'S BLIND. AND SHE MUSES HANDRAILS TO FOLLOW ALONG THE WALL TO WALK INTO THE SCHOOL AND WALK TO HER CLASSROOM WHEN SHE'S IN THE SCHOOL. WE'RE UP ON HAVE THAT ONE OF THE OTHER BIG CONCERNS IS THAT THE THE CAMPUS IS ESSENTIALLY OPEN TO THE OUTSIDE INTO COURTNEY WRITES, ALL THE CLASSROOMS OPEN INTO AN OUTDOOR SPACE. >> PETERSON'S DAUGHTERS AMONG THE 62% OF STUDENTS WHO RANGE IN AGE FROM KINDERGARTEN TO AGE. 22 THAT HAVE STIPULATIONS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS ABOUT EXPOSURE TO HEAT. THAT'S NOT TO MENTION THE DIFFICULTY OF MANY, IF NOT MOST OF THE STUDENTS GETTING FROM ROOM TO ROOM AT ROYAL PALM SINCE THESE WHEELCHAIRS, AT LEAST ONE OLDER STUDENT CRAWLS AND NEEDS CARPETING, WHICH WELL, PALM DOES NOT HAVE. SPOKESMAN ROB SPICKER SAID EQUIPMENT WILL MOVE WITH THE STUDENTS AND ANY MODIFICATIONS WILL BE MADE OVER THE SUMMER. KATY PETERSON'S HUSBAND WILL IS ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT OVERCROWDING AT THE SCHOOL WITH 2 TYPES OF VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. THERE'S A DISCREPANCY. ALSO, IT SEEMS IN THE SCHOOL CAPACITY NUMBERS THEY'VE HEARD FROM THE DISTRICT. >> SO NUMBERS LIKE 50% AND 60% HAVE KIND OF BEEN THROWN OUT BY MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT. I MEAN, OVERCAPACITY STILL HEARTY ANYWAY, BUT FOR BOTH OF THOSE STUDENTS, THEY'RE VERY HIGH NEEDS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE STAFF AND AIDES AND EVERYTHING, ALL THE SUPPORT THAT NEEDS TO BE THERE FOR THOSE STUDENTS. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT ADDING UP. >> THE DISTRICT HAS SAID AGAIN THAT ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF FROM BUCKINGHAM WILL MOVE ALONG WITH THE STUDENTS, BUT AT LEAST ONE BOARD MEMBER REMAIN SKEPTICAL. DEBBIE JORDAN HAS BEEN TALKING TO PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT THE MOVE AND NONE OF THEM ARE HAPPY. >> I AM NOT THAT COMFORTABLE WITH IT. AT THIS TIME OF JOY ACTUALLY. AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS WHAT THEY NEED ON BOTH SIDES. >> SO FOR NOW, PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF BUCKINGHAM SCHOOL ARE CIRCULATING A PETITION ASKING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM NOT TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS PLAN AND THEY VOW TO SHOW UP AND MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD AT THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS MAY 12TH AT THE SCHOOL'S COLONIAL BOULEVARD OFFICES IN FORT MYERS. AND DANA, I UNDERSTAND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME MAJOR CONCERNS ABOUT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND PARENTS. YES, THE PARENTS HEARD BY LETTER IN EARLY APRIL THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN AND THEN THEY HAD JUST 2 DAYS AND THERE WAS AN OPEN HOUSE AT ROYAL PALM THAT THEY COULD ATTEND AND THEIR CONCERNS WERE GREAT WHEN THEY RECEIVED THE LETTER AND THEY WERE KIND OF EVEN GREATER AFTER THEY DID THAT OR. >> AND YOU WILL BE AT THAT MEETING. WE DEFINITELY WILL BE A DEATH. >> YES, THANK YOU FOR FOLLOWING THE STORY AND UPDATING US TODAY. DANA, THANK YOU.