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James Stephens Elementary School

Public Grades PK, KG-5

2145^th

SchoolDigger Rank ?

of 2,240 Florida Elementary Schools

Better than 4% of Florida elementary schools

Summary

James Stephens Elementary School in Fort Myers, FL, is a public school serving 730 students in grades PK-5 within the Lee School District, and it faces significant challenges, including a high rate of chronic absenteeism and a student population where over 70% qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

This school is currently the lowest-performing in its immediate area, with a state ranking that has dropped sharply from the 25th percentile in 2022-2023 to the 4th percentile in 2025-2026. Academic proficiency is severely behind district and state averages in every subject and grade level. For example, only 27% of 5th graders are proficient in science, compared to 60% statewide, and 5th grade math proficiency has plummeted to just 21%. A major concern is a chronic absenteeism rate of 36.5%, which is significantly higher than the state average and has been a persistent problem for years. In contrast, the nearby Edison Park Creative And Expressive Arts School, a magnet school just 3.3 miles away, ranks in the 76th percentile and has proficiency rates 30-50 percentage points higher in every subject, highlighting the impact of school choice and specialized programming.

Despite spending more per student ($13,788) than many higher-performing neighbors like Bayshore School ($10,388), the school is struggling to translate that investment into academic gains. There is one area of relative strength: 3rd grade math, where 44% of students are proficient, though this has declined from 61% two years ago. The most concerning pattern is a "5th grade math cliff," where proficiency drops dramatically from 44% in 4th grade to just 21% in 5th grade, suggesting a potential issue with the curriculum or instruction for older students. The school's future success will depend on aggressively tackling chronic absenteeism and providing targeted interventions to address these specific academic weaknesses.

730

Students ?

20.0

Student/teacher ratio ?

$13,788

Per pupil spending ?

71.1%

Free/discounted lunch ?

1333 Marsh Ave
Fort Myers, FL 33905

(239) 337-1333

District: Lee

Students who attend James Stephens Elementary School usually attend:

Middle:	Harns Marsh Middle School
	Lehigh Acres Middle School
	Oak Hammock Middle School
	Varsity Lakes Middle School
High:	Dunbar High School
	East Lee County High School
	Lehigh Senior High School
	Riverdale High School

Racial breakdown:

Hispanic:

53.0%

African American:

38.9%

White:

5.5%

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At a glance

▬ Ranking trend: Holding steady — 1st percentile in 2016 → 4th in 2026

Worth a look

!Test scores below the Florida average (37% vs 62% meeting standards)

!In the lower quartile statewide (4th percentile)

!Science scores 33 pts below the Florida average

Students meeting standards (2025-2026) ?

This school37%

District avg55%

Florida avg62%

2,145^th of 2,240

Florida public elementary schools ?

Bottom 4%▲ up 3 pts since 2016

See the entire ranking list of Florida Elementary Schools →

★★★★★

SchoolDigger rating ?

57^th of 59Elementary Schools in the Lee

56^th of 70Lee among Florida districts

Statewide rank percentile over time (100 = the top-ranked school in the state; click a legend item to add a student group)

Show full rank history (all student groups)

All Students

Year	Avg score	Statewide rank	Florida percentile	Rating
2026	9.9	2145 of 2240	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2025	8.8	2170 of 2258	3.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2024	18.5	1944 of 2256	13.8%	★☆☆☆☆
2023	26.8	1688 of 2240	24.6%	★☆☆☆☆
2022	22.7	1770 of 2219	20.2%	★☆☆☆☆
2021	13.3	2043 of 2247	9.1%	☆☆☆☆☆
2019	18.0	1888 of 2182	13.5%	★☆☆☆☆
2018	12.5	1959 of 2118	7.5%	☆☆☆☆☆
2017	15.1	1909 of 2112	9.6%	☆☆☆☆☆
2016	3.6	2061 of 2087	1.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2014	7.3	2004 of 2064	2.9%	☆☆☆☆☆
2013	9.2	1944 of 2029	4.2%	☆☆☆☆☆
2012	7.0	1919 of 1984	3.3%	☆☆☆☆☆
2011	7.4	1914 of 1985	3.6%	☆☆☆☆☆

By subject vs Florida (2025-2026) ?

Math40%-23 vs state

English Language Arts34%-26 vs state

Science27%-33 vs state

★

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Schools Near James Stephens Elementary School

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Ranking:

E Elementary M Middle H High A Alternative P Private

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2026)				Ranking (2025)				FAST English Language Arts (2026)					FAST Math (2026)					Statewide Science Science (2026)	EOC Civics (2026)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2025)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2026)	Statewide Rank (2026)	State Percentile (2026)	SchoolDigger Rating (2026)	Average Standard Score (2025)	Statewide Rank (2025)	State Percentile (2025)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 3rd Grade	FAST English Language Arts 4th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 5th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 6th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 7th Grade	FAST Math 3rd Grade	FAST Math 4th Grade	FAST Math 5th Grade	FAST Math 6th Grade	FAST Math 7th Grade	Statewide Science Science 5th Grade	EOC Civics End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
James Stephens Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	1333 Marsh Ave	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 337-1333	730	37	20.0	71.1%	40 (5.5%)	284 (38.9%)	387 (53.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.5%)	9.9	2145^th of 2240 public elementary schools	4.2%		8.8	2170^th of 2258 public elementary schools	3.9%	25	32.0	33.0	37.0	37.0		44.0	44.0	21.0	48.0		27.0		$13,788	$1,698	$12,091
Edgewood Academy	Public	PK, KG-5	3464 Edgewood Ave	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 334-6205	598	43	13.9	68.7%	41 (6.9%)	208 (34.8%)	332 (55.5%)	3 (0.5%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (2.3%)	23.2	1842^nd of 2240 public elementary schools	17.8%		21.9	1850^th of 2258 public elementary schools	18.1%	8	28.0	45.0	52.0			47.0	51.0	56.0			58.0		$20,498	$2,978	$17,521
Tice Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4524 Tice St	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 694-1257	516	30	17.3	57.8%	13 (2.5%)	32 (6.2%)	467 (90.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (0.6%)	22.5	1859^th of 2240 public elementary schools	17.0%		19.5	1927^th of 2258 public elementary schools	14.7%	68	34.0	43.0	44.0			56.0	64.0	45.0			38.0		$13,980	$1,363	$12,618
Franklin Park Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	2323 Ford St	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 332-1969	505	24	21.0	73.7%	18 (3.6%)	361 (71.5%)	111 (22.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.2%)	14 (2.8%)	18.1	1973^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	11.9%		10.1	2147^th of 2258 public elementary schools	4.9%	174	31.0	36.0	38.0			40.0	50.0	62.0			42.0		$12,827	$1,169	$11,657
Orange River Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4501 Underwood Dr	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 694-1258	796	41	19.4	58.9%	36 (4.5%)	72 (9.0%)	683 (85.8%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	4 (0.5%)	21.8	1881^st of 2240 public elementary schools	16.0%		22.3	1839^th of 2258 public elementary schools	18.6%	42	36.0	41.0	48.0			46.0	55.0	53.0			50.0		$12,371	$1,362	$11,009
Manatee Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	5301 Tice St	Fort Myers	33905	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 694-2097	728	42	17.3	55.8%	51 (7.0%)	50 (6.9%)	610 (83.8%)	2 (0.3%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (1.9%)	14.5	2053^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	8.3%		21.1	1873^rd of 2258 public elementary schools	17.1%	180	33.0	34.0	46.0			48.0	53.0	43.0			31.0		$13,263	$1,482	$11,782
Edison Park Creative And Expressive Arts School	Public	PK, KG-5	2401 Euclid Ave	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 334-6232	440	26	16.9	43.9%	179 (40.7%)	109 (24.8%)	138 (31.4%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	14 (3.2%)	73.8	534^th of 2240 public elementary schools	76.2%		51.2	1087^th of 2258 public elementary schools	51.9%	553	75.0	68.0	71.0			74.0	65.0	75.0			74.0		$12,131	$577	$11,553
Colonial Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	3800 Schoolhouse Rd E	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 939-2242	661	45	14.6	66.7%	69 (10.4%)	247 (37.4%)	323 (48.9%)	3 (0.5%)	1 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	18 (2.7%)	17.6	1984^th of 2240 public elementary schools	11.4%		13.1	2077^th of 2258 public elementary schools	8.0%	93	30.0	37.0	45.0			49.0	47.0	47.0			50.0		$14,469	$1,651	$12,819
Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School	Public	PK, KG-5	4600 Challenger Blvd	Fort Myers	33966	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 274-3932	736	44	16.8	54.9%	104 (14.1%)	231 (31.4%)	348 (47.3%)	18 (2.4%)	3 (0.4%)	1 (0.1%)	31 (4.2%)	34.7	1533^rd of 2240 public elementary schools	31.6%		32.4	1578^th of 2258 public elementary schools	30.1%	45	48.0	54.0	56.0			48.0	55.0	59.0			54.0		$13,305	$1,592	$11,713
Bayshore School	Public	PK, KG-6	17050 Williams Rd	North Fort Myers	33917	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 543-3663	685	32	21.2	40.0%	489 (71.4%)	9 (1.3%)	166 (24.2%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	19 (2.8%)	46	1246^th of 2240 public elementary schools	44.4%		53.3	1034^th of 2258 public elementary schools	54.2%	212	54.0	58.0	58.0	64.0	55.0	54.0	62.0	66.0	67.0	78.0	52.0	90.0	$10,388	$547	$9,840

Frequently Asked Questions about James Stephens Elementary School

What is the racial makeup of James Stephens Elementary School?

Students at James Stephens Elementary School are 53% Hispanic, 39% African American, 5% White, 2% Two or more races.

What schools do graduates of James Stephens Elementary School attend?

Students who attend James Stephens Elementary School usually go on to attend:

Middle : Harns Marsh Middle School
Middle : Lehigh Acres Middle School
Middle : Oak Hammock Middle School
Middle : Varsity Lakes Middle School
High : Dunbar High School
High : East Lee County High School
High : Lehigh Senior High School
High : Riverdale High School

How many students attend James Stephens Elementary School?

In the 2024-25 school year, 730 students attended James Stephens Elementary School.

What district is James Stephens Elementary School in?

Lee

Is James Stephens Elementary School a good school?

James Stephens Elementary School ranks in the bottom 4.2% of Florida elementary schools.

Rate James Stephens Elementary School!

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Latest Florida data All new data »

2025–26 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2026

2024–25 school spending dataMar 20, 2026

2024–25 graduation ratesJan 13, 2026

2024–25 EOC, FAST & Statewide Science test scoresJun 26, 2025

SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.