Summary:
Zip code 33903 in North Fort Myers, Florida, is home to six schools within the Lee School District, serving elementary and high school students with no standalone middle schools.
The standout performer in the area is North Fort Myers High School, which consistently earns a 4-star rating and boasts a near-perfect 98.9% graduation rate, far exceeding the district and state averages. In stark contrast, Northern Palms Charter High School is a school in crisis, with a 0-star rating, a 26.5% graduation rate, and a staggering 95.7% chronic absenteeism rate. Among the four elementary schools, Dr. Carrie D Robinson Littleton Elementary School stands out as the strongest, with the lowest chronic absenteeism (27.3%) and the highest state ranking. J. Colin English Elementary School showed the most improvement, jumping from a 1-star to a 2-star rating, while Hancock Creek Elementary School also improved to a 2-star rating. Tropic Isles Elementary School has remained stagnant at a 2-star rating for three years.
A key takeaway is that chronic absenteeism is the strongest predictor of a school's struggles, with the three lowest-ranked schools having the highest absenteeism rates. Additionally, spending per student is highest at the lowest-performing schools, suggesting that intensive interventions for high-poverty populations drive costs without guaranteeing success. The elementary schools serve a high-poverty population, with free/reduced lunch rates ranging from 58% to 69%, while North Fort Myers High serves a more affluent demographic at 33%. This data reveals a bifurcated educational landscape where a student's outcome heavily depends on which school they attend.
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