Estero High School

Q: Is Estero High School a good school?

Estero High School ranks 428 th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

Summary:

Estero High School is a public high school serving 1,433 students in grades 9-12 in Estero, Florida, which is part of the Lee District. While the school maintains a high graduation rate, it faces several challenges, including declining academic performance, high chronic absenteeism, and a diverse student population with varying socioeconomic backgrounds.

Estero High School's four-year graduation rates have consistently remained high, ranging from 91.9% to 97.1% over the past five years, significantly outpacing the state and district averages. However, the school has seen a steady increase in chronic absenteeism, rising from 12.8% in 2019-2020 to 29.9% in 2022-2023, which is notably higher than the state and district averages. Academically, Estero High School's test scores are generally lower than the state and district averages across various subjects and grade levels, with proficiency rates in Algebra 1 (23%), Geometry (49%), and 10th grade English Language Arts (48%) all falling below the state and district benchmarks.

Compared to nearby schools, Estero High School's performance lags behind the high-performing Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School, a charter school that consistently ranks among the top high schools in the state. Some of the other nearby public high schools, such as Cypress Lake High School and South Fort Myers High School, also struggle with low test scores and high chronic absenteeism rates. Estero High School's statewide ranking has steadily declined over the years, from a high of 181 out of 734 Florida high schools in 2018-2019 to 428 out of 807 in 2023-2024, suggesting that the school's performance has not kept pace with the improvements seen in other high schools across the Lee District.

Detail:

Public, Magnet 9-12

21900 River Ranch Rd
Estero, FL 33928

(239) 947-9400

District: Lee

SchoolDigger Rank:
428^th of 807 Florida High Schools

Per Pupil Expenditures: $9,026

Feeder schools for Estero High School:

Elementary:	Allen Park Elementary School
	Bonita Springs Elementary School
	Colonial Elementary School
	Edison Park Creative And Expressive Arts School
	More...
	Fort Myers Beach Elementary School
	Franklin Park Elementary School
	Heights Elementary School
	Orangewood Elementary School
	Pinewoods Elementary School
	Ray V. Pottorf Elementary School
	Rayma C. Page Elementary School
	San Carlos Park Elementary School
	Spring Creek Elementary School
	Tanglewood Elementary School
	The Sanibel School
	Three Oaks Elementary School
	Villas Elementary School
Middle:	Bonita Springs Middle Center For The Arts
	Cypress Lake Middle School
	Fort Myers Middle Academy
	Lexington Middle School
	More...
	Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle School
	Three Oaks Middle School

Student/teacher ratio: 23.4

Number of students: 1,433

Racial breakdown:

White:

53.3%

Hispanic:

38.5%

African American:

3.3%

Free/discounted lunch recipients: 29.5%

See top rated Florida high schools

Compare Estero High School to nearby high schools!

Performance Trends

Compare Details Estero High School ranks worse than 53% of high schools in Florida. It also ranks 7^th among 26 ranked high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Details In 2024 the calculated Average Standard Score was 39.05. (See more...)

The four-year cohort graduation rate measures the percentage of students at Estero High School who earn a standard high school diploma within four years of starting ninth grade.

Chronic absenteeism in a school refers to a situation where students repeatedly miss school, with the threshold often defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, excused or unexcused.

Student Body

Compare Details Racial makeup is: White (53.3%), Hispanic (38.5%), African American (3.3%). (See more...)

Compare Details 29.5% of students are receiving a free or discounted lunch. (See more...)

Teachers

Compare Details The student/teacher ratio at Estero High School is 23.4, which is the 14^th best among 26 high schools in the Lee School District. (See more...)

Compare Estero High School employs 61 full-time teachers.

Finance

Compare Details The average total spent per student at Estero High School is $9,026, which is the 14^th highest among 26 high schools in the Lee School District.

Schooldigger Rankings:

Estero High School was not ranked this year due to insufficient test score data.

SchoolDigger ranks Estero High School 428^th of 807 Florida public high schools. (See Estero High School in the ranking list.)

Lee:

SchoolDigger ranks Lee 50^th of 68 Florida school districts. (See district ranking list.)

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Rank History for Estero High School

Compare

Year	Avg Standard Score	Statewide Rank	Total # Ranked High Schools	FL State Percentile
2004	64.36	173^rd	484	64.3%
2005	50.87	262^nd	487	46.2%
2006	48.33	261^st	477	45.3%
2007	55.94	250^th	563	55.6%
2008	49.60	312^th	577	45.9%
2009	55.73	281^st	587	52.1%
2010	61.31	253^rd	620	59.2%
2011	54.56	309^th	622	50.3%
2012	48.39	255^th	606	57.9%
2013	49.74	288^th	648	55.6%
2014	56.24	267^th	687	61.1%
2016	49.73	275^th	693	60.3%
2017	56.59	218^th	714	69.5%
2018	59.91	188^th	716	73.7%
2019	62.02	181^st	734	75.3%
2021	53.75	233^rd	746	68.8%
2022	46.98	318^th	774	58.9%
2023	47.46	313^th	792	60.5%
2024	39.05	428^th	807	47.0%

See the entire list of Florida High School Rankings!

Data source: test scores: Florida Department of Education, rankings: SchoolDigger.com

Data source: Florida Department of Education

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Enrollment information for Estero High School

Compare

Year	White	African American	Asian	Hispanic	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Not Specified	Total
1988	888	81	7	81	0	n/a	n/a	0	1057
1989	982	84	6	96	0	n/a	n/a	0	1168
1990	1030	73	7	116	0	n/a	n/a	0	1226
1991	1041	78	6	139	0	n/a	n/a	0	1264
1992	1069	74	5	134	1	n/a	n/a	0	1283
1993	1159	74	7	158	0	n/a	n/a	0	1398
1994	1235	72	10	182	0	n/a	n/a	0	1499
1995	1278	80	8	235	3	n/a	n/a	0	1604
1996	1278	80	8	235	3	n/a	n/a	0	1604
1997	1331	85	13	232	3	n/a	n/a	0	1664
1998	1330	62	13	239	3	n/a	n/a	0	1647
1999	1372	60	12	246	2	n/a	n/a	0	1692
2000	1449	100	9	300	3	n/a	n/a	0	1861
2001	1384	90	5	322	2	n/a	n/a	0	1803
2002	1409	86	9	437	4	n/a	n/a	0	1945
2003	1409	86	9	437	4	n/a	n/a	0	1945
2004	1408	86	16	493	1	n/a	n/a	0	2004
2005	1471	91	23	528	4	n/a	n/a	0	2117
2006	1164	43	17	481	3	n/a	n/a	0	1708
2007	1095	33	23	473	2	n/a	n/a	24	1650
2008	964	35	22	491	4	n/a	n/a	37	1553
2009	850	33	15	490	3	n/a	n/a	34	1425
2010	882	42	14	553	0	n/a	n/a	23	1514
2011	869	28	15	569	0	2	15	0	1498
2012	879	23	22	608	0	3	14	0	1549
2013	893	24	23	657	0	1	15	0	1613
2014	950	36	32	671	0	0	21	0	1710
2015	957	42	30	693	1	0	21	0	1744
2016	978	26	37	706	1	0	22	0	1770
2017	1019	37	37	698	1	0	23	0	1815
2018	979	34	39	683	1	0	24	0	1760
2019	944	33	43	591	2	1	30	0	1644
2020	872	46	36	531	3	2	26	0	1516
2021	759	43	33	448	4	2	22	0	1311
2022	754	45	40	488	5	1	25	0	1358
2023	764	47	45	552	3	2	20	0	1433

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Enrollment/Ethnicity

For more information about how the Department of Education defines ethnicity, see Defining Race and Ethnicity Data, National Center for Education Statistics

Students eligible for free or discounted lunch at Estero High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1057	50.0	21.1	18.5
1989	1168	60.0	19.4	17.3
1990	1226	62.0	19.7	14.9
1991	1264	65.0	19.4	15.6
1992	1283	63.0	20.3	14.9
1993	1398	63.0	22.2	19.1
1994	1499	71.0	21.1	16.4
1995	1604	78.0	20.6	17.8
1996	1604	78.0	20.6	17.8
1997	1664	85.0	19.6	17.1
1998	1647	83.0	19.8	12.9
1999	1692	84.0	20.1	18.4
2000	1861	85.0	21.9	21
2001	1803	83.0	21.7	22.2
2002	1945	85.0	22.9	28.1
2003	1945	85.0	22.9	28.1
2004	2004	92.0	21.8	29.8
2005	2117	101.0	21.0	27.9
2006	1708	79.0	21.6	27.6
2007	1650	75.0	22.0	24.8
2008	1553	75.0	20.7	29.7
2009	1425	69.4	20.8	38.5
2010	1514	70.0	21.6	48.4
2011	1498	68.8	21.7	51.6
2012	1549	71.3	21.7	54.4
2013	1613	75.0	21.5	52.9
2014	1710	84.0	20.3	52.2
2015	1744	81.0	21.5	49.5
2016	1770	81.0	21.8	47
2017	1815	85.0	21.3	43.4
2018	1760	87.0	20.2	43.1
2019	1644	76.6	21.4	23.9
2020	1516	72.5	20.9	24.7
2021	1311	65.3	20.0	24.6
2022	1358	64.1	21.1	25.9
2023	1433	61.0	23.4	29.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Students eligible for discounted/free lunch:

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) provides low-cost or free meals to students in U.S. public and nonprofit private schools based on household income. Those with incomes below 130% of the poverty line receive free lunch, while those between 130% and 185% qualify for reduced-price lunch. The percentage of students receiving free or reduced-price lunch serves as a marker for poverty, as it reflects the socioeconomic status of families in a given school or district. A higher FRPL rate typically indicates a higher concentration of low-income families, suggesting that the school or district may face additional challenges in providing adequate resources and support for student success.

Student/Teacher Ratio Estero High School

Compare

Year	# Students	Full-time Teachers	Student/Teacher ratio	% Free/Discounted Lunch
1988	1057	50.0	21.1	18.5
1989	1168	60.0	19.4	17.3
1990	1226	62.0	19.7	14.9
1991	1264	65.0	19.4	15.6
1992	1283	63.0	20.3	14.9
1993	1398	63.0	22.2	19.1
1994	1499	71.0	21.1	16.4
1995	1604	78.0	20.6	17.8
1996	1604	78.0	20.6	17.8
1997	1664	85.0	19.6	17.1
1998	1647	83.0	19.8	12.9
1999	1692	84.0	20.1	18.4
2000	1861	85.0	21.9	21
2001	1803	83.0	21.7	22.2
2002	1945	85.0	22.9	28.1
2003	1945	85.0	22.9	28.1
2004	2004	92.0	21.8	29.8
2005	2117	101.0	21.0	27.9
2006	1708	79.0	21.6	27.6
2007	1650	75.0	22.0	24.8
2008	1553	75.0	20.7	29.7
2009	1425	69.4	20.8	38.5
2010	1514	70.0	21.6	48.4
2011	1498	68.8	21.7	51.6
2012	1549	71.3	21.7	54.4
2013	1613	75.0	21.5	52.9
2014	1710	84.0	20.3	52.2
2015	1744	81.0	21.5	49.5
2016	1770	81.0	21.8	47
2017	1815	85.0	21.3	43.4
2018	1760	87.0	20.2	43.1
2019	1644	76.6	21.4	23.9
2020	1516	72.5	20.9	24.7
2021	1311	65.3	20.0	24.6
2022	1358	64.1	21.1	25.9
2023	1433	61.0	23.4	29.5

Data source: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education.

About Student-Teacher Ratio

Student/teacher ratio is calculated by dividing the total number of students by the total number of full-time equivalent teachers. Please note that a smaller student/teacher ratio does not necessarily translate to smaller class size. In some instances, schools hire teachers part time, and some teachers are hired for specialized instruction with very small class sizes. These and other factors contribute to the student/teacher ratio. Note: For private schools, Student/teacher ratio may not include Pre-Kindergarten.

Finances

Per Pupil Expenditures for Estero High School

Year	Expenditures from Federal Funds	Expenditures from State and Local Funds	Total Expenditures Per Pupil (All Funds)
2018	$367 (5.4%)	$6,368 (94.6%)	$6,735
2019	$304 (4.0%)	$7,272 (96.0%)	$7,575
2020	$320 (4.0%)	$7,607 (96.0%)	$7,928
2021	$550 (6.5%)	$7,974 (93.5%)	$8,524
2022	$1,138 (13.0%)	$7,616 (87.0%)	$8,754
2023	$1,283 (14.2%)	$7,742 (85.8%)	$9,026

Data source: Florida Department of Education

Pre and Post Pandemic Data

Impact of COVID-19 on Estero High School

The coronavirus has had a profound impact on education in America. Learning shifted online overnight, attendance numbers dwindled, and enrollment decreased. SchoolDigger.com is making it easier for you to better assess how COVID-19 has impacted your school. Through the collection of pre-pandemic (2019) and current data, SchoolDigger.com is sharing test scores, enrollment numbers and school demographics from schools across the country – and we make it easy to see how impacted schools compare locally and statewide.

Rankings

Rank Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Rank Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Ranks 181^st of 734 High schools	Ranks 313^th of 792 High schools	14.9%

Test Scores

	% proficient Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	% proficient Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
9th Grade English Language Arts (Estero High School)	66	55	11%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	51	50	1%
9th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	55	51	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Estero High School)	68	47	21%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Lee)	48	44	4%
10th Grade English Language Arts (Florida)	53	49	4%
End of Course Biology 1 (Estero High School)	73	63	10%
End of Course Biology 1 (Lee)	56	51	5%
End of Course Biology 1 (Florida)	67	63	4%
End of Course US History (Estero High School)	75	60	15%
End of Course US History (Lee)	64	54	10%
End of Course US History (Florida)	70	63	7%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Estero High School)	40	30	10%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Lee)	60	48	12%
End of Course Algebra 1 (Florida)	62	54	8%
End of Course Geometry (Estero High School)	65	45	20%
End of Course Geometry (Lee)	50	41	9%
End of Course Geometry (Florida)	57	50	7%

Student Body

	Number of students Pre-pandemic (2018-2019)	Number of students Post pandemic (2022-2023)	Change (%)
Total Students	1644	1433	12.8%
African American	33	47	42.4%
American Indian	2	3	50%
Asian	43	45	4.7%
Hispanic	591	552	6.6%
Pacific Islander	1	2	100%
White	944	764	19.1%
Two or More Races	30	20	33.3%
% Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	23.9%	29.5%	5.6%

Schools Near Estero High School

Choose columns to see: Summary School Students/Teachers Ranking Test Scores Finance All

School													Students/Teachers											Ranking (2024)				Ranking (2023)				FAST English Language Arts (2024)		EOC Algebra 1 (2024)	EOC Geometry (2024)	EOC Biology 1 (2024)	EOC US History (2024)	Per Pupil Expenditures (2023)
Name	Type	Grades	Address	City	Zip	County	District	Is Charter	Is Magnet	Is Virtual	Is Title I	Phone	Enrollment	Full-time Teachers	Student/ Teacher Ratio	Free/Discounted Lunch Recipients	White	Black	Hispanic	Asian	American Indian	Pacific Islander	Two or More Races	Average Standard Score (2024)	Statewide Rank (2024)	State Percentile (2024)	SchoolDigger Rating (2024)	Average Standard Score (2023)	Statewide Rank (2023)	State Percentile (2023)	Rank Change from Previous Year	FAST English Language Arts 9th Grade	FAST English Language Arts 10th Grade	EOC Algebra 1 End of Course	EOC Geometry End of Course	EOC Biology 1 End of Course	EOC US History End of Course	Per Pupil Expenditures Total	Sub-total from Federal Funds	Sub-total from State/Local Funds
Estero High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	21900 River Ranch Rd	Estero	33928	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	No	(239) 947-9400	1,433	61	23.4	29.5%	764 (53.3%)	47 (3.3%)	552 (38.5%)	45 (3.1%)	3 (0.2%)	2 (0.1%)	20 (1.4%)	39.1	428^th of 807 public high schools	47.0%		47.5	313^th of 792 public high schools	60.5%	115	50.0	48.0	23.0	49.0	52.0	67.0	$9,026	$1,283	$7,742
Bonita Springs High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	25592 Imperial Pkwy	Bonita Springs	34135	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	No	(239) 495-3022	1,543	58	26.7	35.3%	583 (37.8%)	24 (1.6%)	867 (56.2%)	38 (2.5%)	1 (0.1%)	1 (0.1%)	29 (1.9%)	34.4	483^rd of 807 public high schools	40.1%		42.2	367^th of 792 public high schools	53.7%	116	55.0	49.0	10.0	46.0	47.0	51.0	$8,126	$1,189	$6,938
Island Park High School	Public, Charter	9-12	16520 S Tamiami Trail	Fort Myers	33908	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 204-5965	316	6	52.6	19.9%	103 (32.6%)	10 (3.2%)	192 (60.8%)	1 (0.3%)	3 (0.9%)	0 (0.0%)	7 (2.2%)	6.6	699^th of 807 public high schools	13.4%		6.5	686^th of 792 public high schools	13.4%	13	10.0	17.0	0.0		19.0	30.0	$9,251	$49	$9,202
South Fort Myers High School	Public	9-12	14020 Plantation Rd	Fort Myers	33912	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	Yes	(239) 561-0060	1,917	84	22.9	49.9%	326 (17.0%)	371 (19.4%)	1,153 (60.1%)	26 (1.4%)	2 (0.1%)	0 (0.0%)	39 (2.0%)	16	654^th of 807 public high schools	19.0%		19.5	607^th of 792 public high schools	23.4%	47	35.0	36.0	9.0	23.0	28.0	44.0	$10,147	$2,552	$7,594
Cypress Lake High School	Public, Magnet	9-12	6750 Panther Ln	Fort Myers	33919	Lee County	Lee	No	Yes	No	No	(239) 481-2233	1,580	65	24.2	37.0%	711 (45.0%)	226 (14.3%)	559 (35.4%)	33 (2.1%)	3 (0.2%)	4 (0.3%)	44 (2.8%)	34	490^th of 807 public high schools	39.3%		36.7	426^th of 792 public high schools	46.2%	64	42.0	53.0	17.0	51.0	40.0	61.0	$9,079	$1,280	$7,799
Florida Southwestern Collegiate High School	Public, Charter	9-12	8099 College Pkwy	Fort Myers	33919	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 432-6767	410	11	37.2	26.8%	199 (48.5%)	37 (9.0%)	132 (32.2%)	29 (7.1%)	1 (0.2%)	1 (0.2%)	11 (2.7%)	91.1	15^th of 807 public high schools	98.1%		87.7	34^th of 792 public high schools	95.7%	19	87.0	93.0	95.0	96.0	96.0		$6,798	$00	$6,798
Gulf Coast High School	Public	9-12	7878 Shark Way	Naples	34119	Collier County	Collier	No	No	No	No	(239) 377-1400	2,447	99	24.6	20.3%	1,553 (63.5%)	110 (4.5%)	604 (24.7%)	91 (3.7%)	5 (0.2%)	0 (0.0%)	84 (3.4%)	64.8	173^rd of 807 public high schools	78.6%		69.4	134^th of 792 public high schools	83.1%	39	60.0	65.0	47.0	65.0	73.0	81.0	$9,397	$689	$8,708
Lee County Acceleration Academies	Public	8-12	12381 S Cleveland Ave	Fort Myers	33907	Lee County	Lee	No	(n/a)	No	(n/a)	(872) 240-2025	0	0			0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	0 ()	5.8	705^th of 807 public high schools	12.6%					(n/a)		7.0		0.0	39.0	19.0
City Of Palms Charter High School	Public, Charter	9-12	2830 Winkler Ave Ste 201	Fort Myers	33916	Lee County	Lee	Yes	No	No	No	(239) 561-6611	133	4	33.2	75.9%	18 (13.5%)	48 (36.1%)	63 (47.4%)	0 (0.0%)	1 (0.8%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (2.3%)	7.2	694^th of 807 public high schools	14.0%					(n/a)	0.0	10.0		27.0		31.0	$10,541	$323	$10,219
Pace School For Girls	Public	6-12	3800 Evans Ave	Fort Myers	33901	Lee County	Lee	No	No	No	No	(239) 425-2366	60	7	8.5	5.0%	29 (48.3%)	7 (11.7%)	21 (35.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	0 (0.0%)	3 (5.0%)								(n/a)

Frequently Asked Questions about Estero High School

Is Estero High School a good school?

Estero High School ranks 428^th of 807 Florida high schools. SchoolDigger rates this school 2 stars out of 5.

How many students attend Estero High School?

In the 2022-23 school year, 1,433 students attended Estero High School.

What district is Estero High School in?

Lee

What is the racial makeup of Estero High School?

Students at Estero High School are 53% White, 39% Hispanic, 3% African American, 3% Asian, 1% Two or more races.

What schools feed into Estero High School?

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SchoolDigger data sources: National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education, the U.S. Census Bureau and the Florida Department of Education.

IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS: Not all boundaries are included. We make every effort to ensure that boundaries are up-to-date. But it's important to note that these are approximations and are for general informational purposes only. To verify legal descriptions of boundaries or school locations, contact your local tax assessor's office and/or school district.