Alva High School walls go up in Lee County as $162 million campus edges closer to opening

Alva High School, Lee County’s newest educational facility, is set to open before the next school year, providing 2,000 new seats for students and doubling as a hurricane shelter.

School officials said East Lee County schools are over capacity, and the new school will help redistribute students.

“We’ve lost some students in the other districts zones, but not in this area, it’s so badly needed. And 2,000 new seats. That’s great,” said Armor Persons, a Lee County School Board member.

Construction crews installed walls at Alva High School on Monday, marking significant progress in the $162 million project.

“We have approximately 98 panels on this portion of the building, and that will be completed mid-July,” said Tina Silcox, assistant director of construction for the Lee County School District.

The new high school will feature a black box theater, gym, baseball and football fields, and will also serve as a hurricane shelter if needed.

“We all know there’s going to be a hurricane eventually and that this place is going to be a nice, safe spot for those community members and staff members,” said Joseph Restino, Alva High School principal.

The school will focus on technology, career development, and agriculture, aiming to become a hub for learning in East Lee County.

“We’re going to be doing a, a, career in tech ed program centering around medical program and around agriculture. And that’s just a start off. So the idea is to implement a couple more with the help of our students in the community, and finding out where the need in our community is for these type of jobs,” Restino said.

The project is expected to be completed before the start of the next school year.