District Profile
Updated 2-18-10

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Schools:

The School District of Collier County has 50 schools including two charter schools.  The district serves a total student population of 43,214.  There are 30 elementary schools, 11 middle schools, 8 high schools, and a Pre-K thru 12 school (Everglades City School).  There are also 12 Alternative School Programs. 

The district’s Career and Adult Education programs serve more than 12,000 students annually, in both short- and long-term programs, offered at the Lorenzo Walker Institute of Technology, the Immokalee Technical Center, and throughout the district at various adult and community education sites.

The District School Board of Collier County is the five-member elected policy-making body of the district. School Board members serve staggered, four-year terms.

Superintendent of Schools: Dr. Dennis L. Thompson

Fast Facts:

• The School District of Collier County earned its first-ever “A” grade from the State of Florida DOE for the 2008-2009 school year.  The District had maintained a “B” grade since 2004, when district grades were first given, and two years ago was only two points shy of receiving an “A.”  This past year, however, earning 533 points put the District well into “A” range.
• Of the 50 individual Collier schools (including 2 charter schools) graded under the State of Florida A+ Plan at the end of the 2008-2009 school year, 27 schools received an “A” grade (54%), 5 received a “B” (10%), 15 received a “C” (30%), 2 received a “D” (4%), and 1 received an “F” grade (2%).  Some 64% of Collier’s schools are “high performing schools” by state definition, receiving either an “A” or “B.” 
• At the end of the 2008-2009 school year, eight Collier schools had made Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) under the very stringent federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) criteria.
• The school district and all of its schools are accredited by AdvancED, the parent organization for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Council on Accreditation and School Improvement (SACS CASI).
• In 2007, the District was awarded the State of Florida Seal of Best Financial Management by the State Board of Education.  The seal is the result of a thorough review of the District conducted by OPPAGA, the Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government.  
• The District employs nearly 3,000 highly qualified teachers, 49% with advanced degrees. 
• Our teachers are among the best paid in Florida, with Collier County ranking in the top three districts in the State.  Sadly, pay for teachers in Florida lags behind the rest of the nation.
• Some 135 Collier teachers have attained the prestigious rank of National Board Certified Teacher.
• During the 2008-2009 school year, we received help from more than 7,200 active and dedicated volunteers who donated an amazing quarter of a million hours of service to our students and schools.
• On May 29, 2009, the District celebrated having more than 2,500 high school graduates.
• The current graduation rate is 77.2%; the dropout rate is 2.2%. 
• Our most capable students have the opportunity to pursue an Advanced Placement Laureate diploma, the most demanding Collier County Public Schools diploma available.  The Laureate Program continues to grow with 72 Laureate graduates from six high schools this past year, compared with just three at one school when the program began 13 years ago. 
• Collier high school students take college-level courses and earn college credit by taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams.  Last school year, 2,567 students took 4,751 AP exams.  And looking at the past 12 years, there is an upward trend in the number of exams with scores of 3 or higher. 
• The participation rate of the ACT has increased dramatically over the past five years: from 39% in the 2004-2005 school year to 59% in the 2008-2009 school year.
• The district’s most recent verbal, writing, and math mean scores on the SAT were higher than the state; and the district verbal mean score was higher than the nation.
• English is not the first language for 15.6% of our students with more than 6,700 students in the English Language Learners (ELL) program.  Collectively, these students speak 81 different heritage languages and hail from 147 different countries of origin. 
• More than 45% of our students live in non-English homes, where English is not the first language and sometimes isn’t even spoken.  The percentage increases to nearly 54% in grades PreK through 3, where learning to read is so critical. 
• The Collier district is a recognized leader in Florida when it comes to technology.  There are more than 24,000 networked computers in use districtwide.