Collier County teachers and staff prepare for first day of new school year

NAPLES, Fla. — With the first day of school approaching, teachers across Collier County are already back in the classroom preparing for the upcoming year.

At Parkside Elementary School in Naples, educators spent Monday morning labeling desks, stacking supplies and finalizing lesson plans. Students in Collier County are set to return to school on Aug. 11.

The district expects to welcome around 47,000 students this year. Officials say staff morale is high heading into the new year, especially after recent gains in school performance ratings.

“Coming into the new school year, I think staff are really encouraged by the A rating that we maintained as a school district,” said Chad Oliver, a spokesperson for Collier County Public Schools. “The place that we're at today, Parkside Elementary, opened in 2007 and they've never had an A rating — until now.”

Fox 4 will be in Southwest Florida communities covering the first day of school as students return to class.