Gateway chosen as site for new Lee County high school

FORT MYERS, Fla. A new high school is coming to Gateway.

The School Board of Lee County voted unanimously Tuesday to build on a nearly 56-acre site near Griffin Drive and State Road 82, choosing it over a 103-acre location at Joel Boulevard and Tuckahoe Road in Alva.

The board acted on the recommendations of its selection committee and advisory council, each of which lent support to Gateway.

The debate stoked passion from residents in both communities who wanted to see the school close to them.

The school board identified more advantages to the Gateway site than in Alva, including a greater number of potential students nearby. The board also pointed to sidewalks that are already in place along Griffin Drive and the expected widening of State Road 82.

It’ll be the second high school in Gateway, joining Gateway Charter High School, which sits on 12770 Gateway Blvd.

The expected opening date is the fall of 2020. Another Lee County high school set to open in 2018 is already under construction in Bonita Springs.