Summary:
Lehigh Acres, Florida, is home to 16 public schools serving approximately 18,921 students across elementary, middle, and high school grades within the Lee district, which ranks in the 20th percentile statewide, presenting a challenging educational landscape for parents to navigate.
For parents, the standout school is Mirror Lakes Elementary School, the only school in the city to earn a 2-star rating, with test scores approaching state averages and a favorable student-teacher ratio of 17.2:1. Among middle schools, Harns Marsh Middle School also earns a 2-star rating and excels in advanced math, with 90% proficiency in Algebra 1 and 95% in Geometry, far outpacing district and state averages. In contrast, the two alternative high schools, Donna J. Beasley Technical Academy and Palm Acres Charter High School, face severe challenges with graduation rates of 35.3% and 19.7% respectively, and chronic absenteeism above 88%. The traditional high schools, Lehigh Senior High School and East Lee County High School, present a paradox: they have remarkably high graduation rates of 96.5% and 97.0%, yet their test scores are among the lowest in the state.
A critical city-wide issue is chronic absenteeism, averaging 45.1% across all schools—well above the state average of 31.4%—which likely drives low academic performance. Economic disadvantage is high, with an average free/reduced lunch rate of 60.5%, and per-student spending varies from $9,578 to $12,277, showing no clear link to performance. A bright spot is advanced math achievement at several middle schools, including Lehigh Acres Middle School (81% Algebra 1 proficiency) and Veterans Park Academy For The Arts (100% Geometry proficiency), though the latter struggles with standard grade-level tests. Overall, 11 of 16 schools hold a 1-star rating, making it essential for parents to focus on individual school strengths, such as advanced coursework or graduation support, when making choices.
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