Collier County Public Schools to split two elementary schools into four

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Sign outside of Golden Gate Elementary. (Credit: WINK News)
Sign outside of Golden Gate Elementary. (Credit: WINK News)

Traffic headaches and school pickup jams may soon be over for hundreds of people in Collier County when two elementary schools will split into four. The goal is to spread out students evenly and make the area easier to navigate for everyone.

Students at Golden Gate Elementary School are about to get a math lesson. Their school, which currently operates out of two different buildings, will soon divide into two different elementary schools.

Collier County Public Schools sent a letter notifying families of the change. Currently, the north building has grades Pre-K through 2nd grade. While third through fifth graders learn on the south campus.

Golden Terrace Elementary School will see a similar split, creating two schools out of one. The district said parents often express concerns over pickups and drop offs, parking and attendance at school events.

The other issue prompting the change is enrollment. Golden Gate Elementary’s south campus is overcapacity. Just down the street, where the younger kids attend, they are at 50 percent.

The new schools will also bring changes to zoning. The district says the changes will also allow siblings to attend the same school. For parent Verline Octavien, she said the news makes her happy.

“I have to finish dropping the kids right here and then I have to stay in the line to go to the other building,” Octavien said.

CCPS will host community meetings regarding the changes at both schools next Thursday evening. For Golden Gate Elementary, it is at 5:30 p.m. For Golden Terrace families, the meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on that campus.

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