LEHIGH ACRES, Fla. — A new high school is coming to east Lee County at the intersection of Joel Boulevard and Tuckahoe Road, bringing relief to overcrowded Lehigh Acres schools. While many residents welcome the development, others have concerns about its location.
Lee County Schools purchased the land back in 2007, planning ahead for Lehigh's population growth. That growth has now reached a point where current schools can no longer comfortably accommodate all students.
"We engaged with the contractors and the architects two years ago so that we could build a high school at Joel (Blvd) and Tuckahoe (Rd)," Rob Spicker with Lee County School Distrcit said.
Currently, Lehigh students navigate packed hallways every day. The new school, also known as High School NNN, will provide much-needed space for students to learn and grow.
Click here to see Lehigh Acres Community Correspondent Victoria Quevedo speak with the community and the school district.
"This is the next high school up. That's the piece of land we own that is ready to go for a high school," Spicker said.
For Lehigh Acres resident Mohamed Yasin, a retired teacher, the new school represents a positive development for the community.
"We need more high schools in the area because of the overcrowding. In the area they are trying to build it or proposing to build it, it's one of the best areas. It's located off of some major routes, (S.R.) 80 is on one side, Joel (Blvd) on the other, and we have transportation modes for those people," Yasin said.
However, not all residents share his enthusiasm. Some community members have expressed concerns about utilities at the site.
"I think there's a concern about the utilities. Those are built for us. They're not built for other people. So there's there to manage a school, not to manage anything that might come afterwards," Spicker said.
Denise Eberle, grandmother of a Lehigh Senior High School student, questions the location choice.
"This is where all the kids live and all the families are, out in Alva there's nothing out there at all. It's time that they have a school built where they live," Eberle said.
The district maintains that changing locations now would delay the opening by three to four years, prolonging the overcrowding issues. Instead, they're moving forward with plans to open the new high school by 2027.
"The truth of the matter is, we're going to build a school at every site we own in Lehigh Acres. We need these schools, we have the students, we know that more are coming. We've got to give them the facilities they deserve," Spicker said.
Lee County Schools has ambitious plans for eastern Lee County, with two high schools, two elementary schools, two middle schools, and a K-8 school planned for construction over the next several years.
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