Making the Grade

In recent years southwest florida has

blossomed into one of the fastest-growing areas in the United States, especially with young professionals and their families. According to the U.S. Census report released in August, nearly 20 percent more 25- to 49-year-olds live in Collier County than in 2000, and the number of school-age children has increased 26 percent in Lee County.

With that growth comes the need for more schools, more teachers and more education options. While keeping pace has proven

challenging in both space and funding, the region's schools have stepped up with improved test scores, facility additions and faculty incentives for area schools.

Lee County

Seventy-five percent of Lee County schools earned an A or B grade in 2006, based on the criteria for the state's A-plus School Accountability program, as well as a combination of rigorous and innovative education programs. For example, the intensive college prep courses at Fort Myers High School's International Baccalaureate program earned the school a place in Newsweek's "Top 100 High Schools" for the past several years.

But like any good report card, those grades didn't come without effort. According to Joseph Donzelli, director of communications and public relations at Lee County Public Schools, the greatest challenges facing Lee County public schools are, indeed, growth and funding. In 2005-'06, Lee schools served approximately 75,565 students, and projections estimate that those schools will see another 3,500-5,000 students every year over the next decade. In 2005, eight new elementary schools opened in Lee County, with three more schools added for the 2006-'07 school year. Existing schools are expanding, as well. Over the past decade, Lee's School Choice program, which allows parents to choose their children's school within a particular zone, continues to diversify the county's student population. In addition, the 2006 salary increase for Lee teachers is one of the many steps taken to attract quality instructors in Lee's competitive hiring market.

Lee has also set the pace for "attractor" schools with specialized art or technology programs, and secondary schools that promote "real-world experiences," such as Dunbar High School's Academy for Technology Excellence.

"We've opened up comprehensive high schools that are truly on the edge of innovation," says Donzelli. "Students already can focus on a particular area of study-which [complies] with the new high school reform that asks students to declare a 'major.'"

In addition to public schools, Lee County has 11 charter schools and will see four new charter schools in 2006-'07, such as Gateway Charter High School.

Collier County

Children under five outnumber people over 80 in Collier County, according to the U.S. Census. The region is expected to serve 50,000 students in its schools by 2010, a 6,000 increase from this year. Collier School District, awarded the Florida Seal of Best Financial Management in 2006, enjoys a solid tax base and will benefit from funds gained through increased impact fees later in the year. This will allow Collier to build and expand programs, including the voter-approved, voluntary pre-kindergarten program and the addition of technical high schools and charter schools. Collier currently has two charter schools. Another, Marco Island Charter Middle School, currently housed in portables, broke ground for its building this summer.

The county earned a B grade from the state in 2006, with a majority of schools improving their grades from previous years. Like Lee County, Collier is also addressing the challenge of recruiting and retaining high-quality instructors. School officials are weighing in at the state level on affordable workforce housing in the county, offering ideas such as building teacher housing on school grounds.

Contrasted with Collier's wealthy reputation, 45 percent of the county's ethnically diverse student population has been categorized as economically needy. Despite that, Collier ranked among the top 10 school districts for closing the achievement gap between white students and minority students.

Collier's secondary education is marked by innovations in curriculum that allow students to forge connections between school and career. The county's expanding technical high school programs in new schools such as Walker Career and Technical High School have been inundated with student applications. The school will grow over the next four years to a student body of 600, grades nine through 12. Construction on the permanent campus is slated for June 2007.

Private Education

Private school enrollment is estimated to rise nationally by 7 percent over the next six years. In Southwest Florida, schools such as Evangelical Christian have reported enrollment increases of up to 13 percent.

Lee County has more than 59 private schools, from traditional Catholic schools such as St. Francis Xavier ($4,600 to $5,700 tuition) to Canterbury School, Fort Myers' prestigious college preparatory academy ($10,980 to $15,595). There is also a growing segment of smaller religious and alternative schools, such as Providence Christian School in Cape Coral, serving 157 students from pre-K through eighth grade, and Renaissance Inc., a Montessori school, with 60 students from pre-K through sixth grade. Collier has approximately 17 private schools both religious, such as Christ Community Lutheran (tuition $4,600), and secular, Community School of Naples, ($15,528-19,144).

Home schooling is another increasingly popular option in Southwest Florida. The Florida Parent-Educators Association recognizes 13 religious and secular home-school support groups for Lee and Collier counties. Homeschoolers of Collier County, a nonreligious group, has seen its membership grown from 45 families in 2005 to 60 families in 2006.

Higher Education

With tech-friendly classrooms, off-site learning centers and innovative facilities, the young colleges and universities of Southwest Florida offer programs that reflect contemporary concerns and job markets. Edison College, the oldest institution at 44 years, houses campuses in Naples and Fort Myers and offers 36 different associate's degrees and professional certificate programs. Florida Gulf Coast University, the newest state university in Florida, has nearly 7,000 students, up 1,000 students from the 2004-'05 academic year. FGCU offers 57 graduate and undergraduate programs, with the colleges of arts and sciences and business attracting the most students.

International College, founded in 1990, is a private, four-year college that specializes in flexible schedules with classes taught by working professionals. It offers its 1,342 students bachelor's and master's degrees in 16 disciplines. The private Catholic university, Ave Maria University, poured the foundation for its landmark oratory in May 2006 and plans to have the building complete in December. During the construction of the Immokalee campus, undergraduate and graduate classes continue at the temporary Naples campus.