It’s back to school time here on Sanibel and Captiva Islands, and you might be thinking, “Where do kids who live on the island go to school?… They do go to school right??”
Yes, just like all the other kids, summer fun comes to an end for kids on Sanibel and Captiva Island. The end of August starts the beginning of a new school year here in Southwest Florida, and students who live on the Islands attend The Sanibel School for grades K-8.
The Sanibel School is a public elementary and middle school of the Lee County School District, however, this isn’t your average K-8 institution. Did you know the Sanibel School is a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence?
Living and going to school on an island is just a cool as it sounds. The small-town island community feel of Sanibel extends to The Sanibel School, where students, teachers, staff and parents work closely together to make learning fun.
But it doesn’t stop there… The Sanibel School also works closely with the city’s recreation department including partnerships with the Sanibel Rec Center, SCCF, Sanibel Shell Club, “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge and other organizations who aid in student development.
Going to school on the Islands is a special experience that both students and parents cherish. So what happens when students graduate from The Sanibel School? Since there are no high schools on the Islands, we ship our students to the “mainland” for high school. Well, not literally – students ride the bus, but it how awesome would it be to ride a boat to school everyday?
Lee County has a number of top ranking high schools including the following eight that ranked in the 2014 U.S. News “Best High Schools” listing:
- Fort Myers High School – Ranked #51 in FL
- Cape Coral High School – Ranked #77 in FL
- Mariner High School – Ranked #102 in FL
- North Fort Myers High School – Ranked #116 in FL
- Riverdale High School – Ranked #134 in FL
- Ida S. Baker High School -Ranked #136 in FL
Rankings are based on College Readiness, Mathematics, and Reading scores. Click here to see the full listing from U.S. News.
