TAMPA — It’s been a long four months for the students and teachers who relocated from Lee Elementary School after that historic building was gutted by a hurricane-related fire on Sept. 12.
This evening, community members hope to get some answers to the pressing question: What next?
Officials from the Hillsborough County School District will speak at a parent meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Lockhart Elementary School, which took the Lee students and faculty in after the fire.
Judging by the email Lee principal Beverly Smith sent out this week, there is no commitment yet about rebuilding the school.
"Right now, we can tell you that Lee will remain in operation as its own school on our shared campus through the 2018-19 school year," Smith wrote.
"But decisions beyond that year will not be made until the insurance claim from the fire has been completed."
How long will all that take?
That will likely be one of the questions from parents and community members who, to a large extent, are clamoring for the district to rebuild the historic school.
Community members have been raising money and lobbying the district to rebuild the school.
A petition drive is under way.
The meeting will take place in the cafeteria. Lockhart is at 3719 N. 17th Street.
