New and renovated schools welcome students across the Gulf Coast

The Gulf Coast is welcoming students back to school with new and renovated campuses across Collier and Lee counties. Ave Maria Elementary School In Collier County, students will now attend classes at the new Ave Maria Elementary School. The school opens this fall for pre-K through fifth-grade students and features enhanced security, collaborative learning spaces, floor-to-ceiling windows in select areas, and covered pick-up and drop-off areas. Designed to accommodate up to 931 students, Ave Maria Elementary is expected to enroll about 400 students during its first year. The campus was built with future growth in mind as the Ave Maria community continues to expand. "We really have the best of the best here," said Beverly Budzynski, Ave Maria Elementary Principal. "The energy, the passion, the excitement for learning, the excitement for students and always putting students first...It's going to be phenomenal what we can do here." Bonita Springs Elementary School Bonita Springs Elementary School also has a newly renovated campus, more than a century after it first opened. Construction took about a year and brought the facility up to current school standards with new safety features, just in time for the new school year. Work is still being done on other buildings, with plans to finish the project by May 2027. Despite the upgrades, the school has preserved some features of its original building, which opened in 1921. "You know, just actually behind you is some of the original beams that were in our original building," said Principal Cynthia Hernandez. Hector A. Cafferata, Jr. K-8 School Hector A. Cafferata Jr. K-8 has a new home in northwest Cape Coral after nearly four years without a permanent campus. The new 225,000-square-foot campus serves elementary and middle school students in separate areas connected by a central building. Hurricane Ian severely damaged the original school in 2022, forcing students and staff into portable classrooms and space at Cape Coral Technical College. The Cafferata family attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony and expressed their gratitude for the continued legacy of Hector A. Cafferata Jr. "On behalf of my family, my son and myself, it is a great honor for Hector and all of us who knew him, that he is recognized in this way," said Jessica Cafferata, Hector A. Cafferata Jr.'s granddaughter. "I only wish that he was here to tell you himself." The new campus separates the elementary and middle school students into different buildings. Currently, 910 students are enrolled for the new school year. DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.