The top reported proficiency rate is 35% in English language arts. The lowest is 26% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Orangewood Elementary School
Orangewood Elementary sits on DeLeon Street in Fort Myers, serving prekindergarten through fifth grade as a regular public school in the Lee County district. The school draws a racially and ethnically diverse student body, with Hispanic students making up the largest share, followed by Black students, then white students, with smaller Asian and multiracial populations. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, placing Orangewood among the higher-poverty elementary schools in Lee County. Data on English learner rates and students with IEPs were not available in what we reviewed.
State assessment results from Florida's FAST and Statewide Science Assessment paint a challenging academic picture. Across third, fourth, and fifth grades, math proficiency rates sit in the low-to-mid range, with third grade performing somewhat better than fourth and fifth. ELA results are similar, with fourth grade showing a modest uptick before dropping again at fifth. Science proficiency at fifth grade is the lowest of the three subjects. These results are materially below what most Florida elementary schools report statewide, and parents may want to ask school leadership directly about instructional supports, intervention programming, and how the school is working to close these gaps. Multi-year trend data were not available, so it is not possible to say from the data whether performance is improving, holding steady, or declining.
The comparison fact-set for Lee County listed only one district in the county cohort, so a meaningful peer comparison against other Lee County schools could not be constructed.
On the district side, families should know that Lee County overhauled its student assignment system in recent years. The old School Choice setup, which had guaranteed busing regardless of distance, gave way to a proximity-based plan that shrank attendance zones and tied transportation eligibility to where a student lives relative to their assigned school. Elementary changes took effect starting in the 2023-2024 school year. This directly affects which school a child in a given neighborhood is assigned to and whether the district provides a bus, so any family considering a move near Orangewood should verify current transportation eligibility with the district. Lee County voters also elected to make the superintendent position a partisan elected office rather than a board-appointed one, a governance shift with effects on district accountability and direction that took hold with the 2024 election. A voter-approved half-cent sales tax has funded capital improvements, safety upgrades, and new school construction across the district, but that tax is set to expire in 2028, and district leadership has publicly flagged concern about what happens to construction, technology, and security funding without renewal.
The housing market immediately around Orangewood is part of the broader Fort Myers zip code picture. Home values here have declined noticeably year over year, running below the Florida statewide median and below the national median. Rents have also softened year over year. The rent-to-income ratio sits at a level that is meaningful for a budget, and the estimated monthly mortgage on a typical nearby home is a considerable household expense at current rates. For families weighing cost of living, the recent softening in both sales prices and rents may represent a window, though affordability relative to income still warrants careful budgeting.
Fort Myers itself, where Orangewood is located, is a city with real texture and genuine growth pressures. The downtown River District, the city's historic core, is publicly reported as a walkable neighborhood with brick-lined streets, a waterfront, restaurants, galleries, and regular community events. Most of the city beyond that corridor is car-dependent. Healthcare is the dominant employment sector, anchored by Lee Health as the region's largest healthcare system, alongside major physician groups and nationally known medical specialty organizations headquartered locally. The Cape Coral-Fort Myers metro has been among the faster-growing in the country, and downtown Fort Myers has multiple large residential projects underway. That growth places real demand on schools, infrastructure, and services.
For a family choosing Orangewood, the school's diversity and its community setting in a city with genuine employment and civic anchors are plain facts to weigh. The proficiency data are low across all tested subjects and grades, and that deserves direct follow-up with the school about what is in place to support students who arrive behind grade level and what the trajectory looks like.
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