Lee County promises best academics, security for new Gateway High School

Reporter: Michael Hudak Writer: Joey Pellegrino
Published: Updated:
Gateway High School from overhead. Credit: WINK News

The Gateway community is finally getting its own high school: Wednesday is the ribbon-cutting for Gateway High School, which will accommodate up to 2,000 students and take the pressure off other crowded schools nearby.

This school is going to offer a cybersecurity program that will help kids get jobs right out of school, in addition to the Florida Gulf Coast University Collegiate Academy, where students can gain college credits, and even a school of construction management.

Regardless of what this upcoming school year looks like, this is a new day for the east side.

“Plus, it’s an AICE Cambridge school,” said Rob Spicker, spokesman for Lee County Schools. “So that’s an advanced degree that can help students earn college credit, and by earning their AICE diploma, they qualify for full-time Bright Futures. Academics that, you know, really make the school attractive, and that showed in our enrollment period.”

Despite the pandemic, construction finished ahead of schedule, which gave them plenty of time to worry about COVID-19 protocol and safety inside the school. There are touchless water fountains, bottle-fillers and easy-to-clean surfaces. When the school actually opens in August, face masks are going to be voluntary, but the school will still have hand sanitizer and some social distancing.

“It’s going to be a great place for learning,” Spicker said. “It’s going to be a challenging place for students with these academics and the programs that it offers. It’s going to have a great slate of athletics… a full program, you know, for the band, and for the black box theater for the arts that it can offer.”

The school system says this is the safest school in the county, with the newest security systems and cameras, and only one entry point.

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