South Fort Myers High School

South Fort Myers High School in Fort Myers, FL, is a large public high school serving 1,693 students in grades 9-12 as part of the Lee County School District, a district ranked in the 20th percentile statewide.

While the school faces significant academic challenges—with proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (26%), Geometry (29%), and 10th-grade ELA (42%) that are among the lowest in its peer group—it has a notable bright spot in Biology, where 60% of students are proficient. This is a stark contrast to its math scores and higher than its performance in US History (45%). The school also stands out for its graduation rate of 89.5%, which nearly matches the district average and is competitive with higher-performing schools like Fort Myers High School (28% Algebra 1 proficiency, 69% ELA proficiency) and Cypress Lake High School (26% Algebra 1 proficiency, 61% ELA proficiency). This creates a paradox: the school is effective at keeping students on track to graduate, even though many may not be meeting grade-level academic benchmarks. Chronic absenteeism is a concern at 39.5%, though this is lower than at Dunbar High School (44.3%) and far better than alternative schools like Island Park High School (78%+).

Interestingly, the school spends $11,544 per student—more than the top-performing Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School ($7,941) and Fort Myers High School ($9,951)—suggesting that funding alone isn't the issue. There are signs of improvement: Algebra 1 proficiency jumped from 9% to 26% and Biology from 28% to 60% over two years, indicating recent interventions may be taking effect. However, the school remains a 1-star institution, and parents should weigh its strong graduation support against the reality that many students may graduate without the foundational skills needed for college or career success.