New School Year and New School Construction
Bear Creek Elementary Rendering
Summer days are long, but they sure seem to fly by. Hello August! We are on the cusp of a new school year in Collier County Public Schools (CCPS). Teachers start August 6 and students return August 13 to our 50+ schools. Think about the work that goes into making sure campuses are ready for smiling faces on the first day. Fully staffed classrooms – check. Decorated bulletin boards – check. School facilities that look pristine – check. The list is a long one. This year, Superintendent Dr. Leslie C. Ricciardelli plans to build upon the success of School Year 2023-24, her first full year as superintendent in the county where she grew up. Students outperformed the state averages on assessments. The graduating class included 3,400 seniors who collectively earned $42 million in scholarships. Working closely with the school board, Dr. Ricciardelli demonstrated a dedication to recruiting and retaining staff by significantly increasing teacher salaries and boosting the eligible incoming years of experience credit from 10 to 18 years. Dr. Ricciardelli displayed fiscal acumen by aligning student achievement and finance during the budgeting process. She reduced more than 50 district-level positions to streamline operations, thereby redirecting resources back into the schools. Dr. Ricciardelli has also prioritized the climate and culture of CCPS, fostering improved communication between and among all stakeholders.
We’re building on success and literally building a new school. In June, CCPS broke ground on Bear Creek Elementary. Dr. Ricciardelli also unveiled the name of the school’s mascot after receiving feedback from the community. In August 2025, we will proudly welcome the Cubs to campus! Bear Creek will be built for about 1,000 students at the southeast corner of Immokalee Road and Moulder Drive. It will be a two-story building facing south, away from Immokalee Road, on a 22-acre site acquired by CCPS in 2006. When the school opens a year from now, it will have been 17 years since we opened a new elementary school. For updates from the construction site, please visit collierschools.com/bearcreek.
CCPS is also designing a new elementary school—temporarily called Elementary Q— that will open in Ave Maria two years from now. Bear Creek Elementary and Elementary Q are included in the CCPS Capital Improvement Plan and will be paid for in full using Capital funds, including collected impact fees. This means the district will not have to incur any new debt to build these two schools, and CCPS will remain on track to be debt-free by 2026.
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