Lee schools show grade improvements

The list of schools rated an "A" by the state is out and for the first time in three years, Bonita Springs Elementary isn't on it.

The school instead saw a "B" rating this year, a mark that still puts it in the state's good graces and places it among 61 in Lee County to earn one of the two top grades.

According to the district, that's a 7 percent increase over the number meeting that mark last year.

School and district report cards, which are based on the results of the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, were released by the Florida Department of Education on Wednesday.

Middle schools state-wide and locally netted significant gains, with 87 percent of middle schools in Florida getting an A or B grade, up from 63 percent last year.

Among the schools seeing improvement was Three Oaks Middle School in San Carlos Park, which rose from a "B" to and "A" rating this year. Bonita Springs Middle stayed at a B grade, missing the A by a single point.

Most other south Lee County Schools retained their grades from last year, netting for the most part a list of schools with As and Bs next to their name.

"I am absolutely thrilled with the school grades that were received this morning from the Florida Department of Education," said Lee County School District Superintendent James Browder in a prepared statement. "I want to thank all our students, teachers, principals, staff and parents for all their hard work -- I know that we are on the right path when it comes to helping all our students achieve at the highest levels."

Just 13 Lee County schools saw a C on their report cards, almost all of them high schools. Estero High kept its "C" from last year. The new South Fort Myers High was awarded that same mark after opening this year.

Two other new south Lee schools, Rayma C. Page Elementary in San Carlos Park and Lexington Middle School in south Fort Myers, were given B's. Also released Wednesday was the number of schools judged to be making Adequate Yearly Progress under the federal No Child Left Behind legislation.

In Lee County, 22 schools were judged to have met that mark. High-poverty schools that receive federal Title I funds are subject to sanctions if they do not meet the Adequate Yearly Progress criteria for two or more years in a row.