Fleming Island Junior High

The Fleming Island community is continuing to grow at a phenomenal rate. We must be pro-active in regards to providing quality education for our children.

With construction of new planned communities, such as Saratoga Springs, and a recently county-approved multi-family housing development, we will see further overcrowding in our already full schools. Do we wish to open a new Junior High in 10 years with our children relegated to portable classrooms in the meantime? We learned all too well from Fleming Island High that too little has been done too late. There is land available now that sits idle while no plans are being made for the building of the school our children need.

Fleming Island residents are being told that the district plans a new Junior High within 6-10 years but that nothing is committed in writing until we are within 5 years of construction. We must demand that the current and future overcrowding be addressed now and not years from now. We must demand that plans be put in writing to guarantee that our Junior High will not be put continually on hold.

Yes, the need is great everywhere. The builder for Oak Leaf stepped up and helped finance the building of a new K-8 by providing the county with a loan. It is now our turn to step up. If we want the value of our community to stay strong, we need to find a way to get this much-needed school built.

The attached petition requests that the school district give our community a commitment to our children, parents and residents. We demand a commitment that quality education is, and will remain, a priority.

Fleming Island Parents for Education
October 11, 2005