Recognizing What Makes Marco Special

Every morning when I get out of bed, I look around and marvel at the wonderful place we live. The thought that went into designing and laying out this island was truly a stroke of genius. However, someone bigger than us all provided the Mackle Brothers with a wonderful canvas to create such a great community.

The sheer beauty of the Ten Thousand Islands, the majesty of the Gulf of Mexico and the splendor of our wonderful beach leave visitors and guests in awe every time I am lucky enough to give someone the “Stef Tour” of the island.

You can’t help but be beaming with pride when you have the privilege to show off this wonderful place we call home. I am especially proud to point out those things we are responsible for as residents - things like our excellent medical facilities, the well-maintained parks and our beautiful Veterans’ Memorial are among the many features I like to show off.

It’s also very easy to brag about how efficiently we run our community: the world class fire-rescue and law enforcement services that keep us safe, the diligent staff over at the Parks and Recreation Department who help to keep us smiling, and all the other city personnel who provide outstanding services to our residents and guests.

My good friend Dusty Rhodes reminded me not to forget the wonderful restaurants that dot our landscape and the businesses that provide goods and services needed by us all.

There are three other special places I’d like to compliment in addition to all these other wonderful assets that make our island a special place. Marco is not just a retirement community. It is a well-balanced, vibrant and energetic community to live in, and that includes our wonderful young people.

I have to believe this is one of the reasons that younger families choose Marco to call home and raise their families. Its climate, the safety of the community and its sheer beauty are natural attractions for all to enjoy.

Tommie Barfield Elementary, the Charter Middle School and, of course, the Marco Island Academy are all located here on the island. All of these venues provide a sound and resilient foundation for our young people. They serve as a wonderful springboard for a successful post-education experience for the next generation that will lead our communities and the nation in the future.

I often think about the challenges the school professionals faced in dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak during the last year. How they adapted to those challenging times was a tribute to them and to their profession. Educators, staff, parents and children took on those tasks, and we came through those challenges together in good shape. 

I think about the disappointment my good friend George Abounader must have felt having to finish out  his career at the Marco Island Charter Middle School, not being able to give these children he loved so much the sendoff he had envisioned in his last year. He would, however, leave behind the distinction of being recognized consistently as “A High Performing Charter School,” by the Florida Department of Education.

The Charter Schools, while working within the Collier County School District, have their own School Board that sets policies and budgets. Funding is provided primarily through the state but passes through the local district, which maintains 2% of those funds for “administrative” costs. The schools therefore have to raise the additional funds themselves for their operations.

Similar challenges were felt by Jane Watt and Melissa Scott as they struggled at the Marco Island Academy to sustain their wonderful record of achievement, while also dealing with the construction of a new facility for their students that opened only a few weeks ago. Lesser professionals might have crumbled under those challenges, but they persevered and overcame those obstacles.

Tommie Barfield, the Charter Middle School and the Marco Island Academy are certainly some of the finest schools you’ll find within the State of Florida and within the United States. Community involvement with all three of these contributes to their great successes, and the Marco community should be proud of that.

Congratulations to the educators, staff, students, parents and the community itself, for supporting such wonderful educational endeavors for our young people during these trying times.