West Zone schools reaching capacity
By MEGHAN BRADBURY?news@breezenewspapers.com The School District of Lee County continues to address the challenges of having enough student stations at its schools. “The students have not stopped coming when we look at our initial enrollment,” Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “People have discovered Southwest Florida, and they will continue to discover it.” Capital Planning Assistant Director Dr. Adam Molloy said on Sept. 2, the district had 88,043 students enrolled in traditional public schools. The enrollment has since increased by 100 students. The projected 10-year student enrollment will reach 106,956 traditional K-12 students by 2034-2035 – an increase of 18,913 students, according to the forecast. Molloy said there are currently 34 schools operating above 100% of their assigned building capacity. The capacity pressures are not evenly distributed across the district as nearly half of the schools are located in the East Zone, he said. Board Chair Sam Fisher said alt
The School District of Lee County continues to address the challenges of having enough student stations at its schools.
“The students have not stopped coming when we look at our initial enrollment,” Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin said during Tuesday’s board meeting. “People have discovered Southwest Florida, and they will continue to discover it.”
Capital Planning Assistant Director Dr. Adam Molloy said on Sept. 2, the district had 88,043 students enrolled in traditional public schools. The enrollment has since increased by 100 students.
The projected 10-year student enrollment will reach 106,956 traditional K-12 students by 2034-2035 – an increase of 18,913 students, according to the forecast.
Molloy said there are currently 34 schools operating above 100% of their assigned building capacity.
The capacity pressures are not evenly distributed across the district as nearly half of the schools are located in the East Zone, he said.
Board Chair Sam Fisher said although the East Zone has become a priority, the West Zone — essentially Cape Coral and North Fort Myers — is quickly filling up.
There is a little bit of space at Island Coast High School, and there are some seats available at Mariner Middle School, Challenger Middle School, and Hector A Cafferata, he said.
Fisher said although there is not going to be a full high school build in the West Zone, they may be able to do an expansion of an existing school, or work with a Public-Private Partnership to build a school.
“We don’t have enough seats in the West Zone,” Board member Melisa Giovanneli said. “If we don’t address that now, we are leaving that for someone to figure out down the road. (I would) hate to leave legacy of what we are leaving with the East Zone now in the West Zone.”
The East Zone is essentially the area in and around Lehigh.
Board member Bill Ribble agreed that they have to start getting into some joint venture to share the pain in the capital expense. The district needs to ask how it can partner with others and save the district a ton of money.
“Think outside of the box,” Ribble said.
The district is looking at different solutions, one of which is designing larger middle and high school prototypes. For middle school the capacity went from 1,200 students to 1,500 students and high school went from 2,000 students to 2,800 students.
The 2025 capital plan for new construction includes 10 schools and one portable swing site for 14,188 estimated new student stations.
“From 2026 to 2028 it is one of the largest capital construction efforts,” Molloy said, adding that there are three schools per year for a total of nine.
Hector A. Cafferetta Jr. in Cape Coral is among the pending projects. The new K-8th campus to replace the elementary school destroyed by Hurricane Ian is expected to be open by the state of the new school year next August.
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