Cape Coral school destroyed by Hurricane Ian on track to reopen this year

Hector A. Cafferata Jr. Elementary School in Cape Coral is on track to reunite its students under one roof by August, according to the School District of Lee County.

The school, devastated by Hurricane Ian in September 2022, was deemed irreparable and subsequently demolished. Now, construction is underway at a new, larger location.

Jason Kurtz, principal of the school, expressed his anticipation for the new facility.

"It's been a long time coming," said Kurtz. "It's been a long journey. But you know, out of the destruction and chaos of Hurricane Ian, we're excited for this new opportunity for our families, and our students, and our faculty and staff."

Construction has been ongoing since May, with significant progress made.

"We're putting base rock down right now, we have drywall up," said Tommy Huether, vice president and owner of Gulfpoint Construction. "Finishes are starting to happen in the rooms. Our AC is going to be kicked on in the next few weeks. A little bit of paint here, a little bit of touch-up here, getting to the punch list items. So, we're on a very good, good pace here with this project, and we're excited to get at the finish line."

The project aims to transform the school into a combined elementary and middle school.

"Kindergarten through eighth grade, and the school is really larger than, two-time sizes of the other school," said Kurtz. "We'll have 1,800 students when we're filled up eventually."

Nearby families are eager for the school's completion but have traffic concerns.

"It's going to be big, right? Yeah, it'll be interesting to see how, like the traffic too," said Kiara Freitas, a neighbor.

Kurtz looks forward to returning to his passion in the new building.

"I love being with the kids every day and seeing the magic that our teachers and our staff work with our students," he said. "You know, creating lifelong learners and giving back to the community."

Huether and his team are motivated to see the project through to completion.

"For us to be able to turn that over to them and get them back into school and out of the portables, that's exciting for us, and that really drives myself and our team every day," said Huether.

The school district plans to open the new K-8 school in August, coinciding with the start of the new school year.