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I just want to say one thing about the School Choice program. It was designed so that parents DIDN'T have to send their kids to a school just because it was right down the street. I would rather live in poverty trying to pay for a private school than have my daughter at the school nearest to me . So, Thanks to SCHOOL CHOICE I was able to do my research on the different schools, talk to the principals, and was able to decide which I thought was best suited for her. I did this before the first deadline so that we had priority and we were given the school we had picked. Same story for everyone I know. The only people who I have heard who didnt get the school they wanted were those who waited too long to make a request, or those who didnt bother to do anything at all.
Ok I guess Im not done. I feel like only the people who hate it here seem to respond, so I feel I need to defend my area. It's really NOT that bad.
I've never had any problems with crime.
I love my daughters school and her classmates and are not illegal immigrant deliquents.
There are plenty of people who have confederate flags, not because they are ignorant about history, but because they are proud of their southern heritage, nothing wrong with that.
I pay $650 rent for a 3 bedroom house in a nice part of Lehigh (closer to Alva). if you want a listing of nice affordable rentals go to rentalhouses.com . My insurance is reasonable, and my electric is normally about $85.
And as for 14 yr old moms. sure theres some. I think in every part of the world there are going to be kids that young having sex. Thats just how it is now. But I think it takes a lot more guts to face up to the fact that you made a mistake by not using protection and make the descion to not make ending your babys life the easy way out. Just because other areas dont have 14 yr old moms doesnt mean they dont have 14 yr olds having sex. To me, it just means there are more 14 yr olds having abortions. At least around here we still have some of our morals left.
I do recycle. as do my neighbors. and we do keep our homes, yards, and street clean.
I guess what I am trying to say is everyone has a different expirience. I like it here. Of course I am careful as to where I live, where I go, and with whome myself and my family associates with. It seems to be some other others that have responded expect other people to do what they want. I prefer to take a more aggressive approach. If I don't like something, I either change it or avoid it, not whine and complain.
The one thing I will agree on is the traffic. There are way too many cars on the road. And with that many people on the road it is logical to think that more accidents will occur. This doesnt mean our drivers are any worse, its just a matter of statistics. Still, with this many people on the roadways getting to places can be quite time consuming. For instance, getting from Lehigh to Fort Myers would normally take about 30 minutes. Doing that drive in the morning, say on your way to work, will take you about 90 minutes. But, like I said, change it or avoid it. I now have an alternate route using only backroads, it takes me 40 minutes.
I just want to say one thing about the School Choice program. It was designed so that parents DIDN'T have to send their kids to a school just because it was right down the street. I would rather live in poverty trying to pay for a private school than have my daughter at the school nearest to me . So, Thanks to SCHOOL CHOICE I was able to do my research on the different schools, talk to the principals, and was able to decide which I thought was best suited for her. I did this before the first deadline so that we had priority and we were given the school we had picked. Same story for everyone I know. The only people who I have heard who didnt get the school they wanted were those who waited too long to make a request, or those who didnt bother to do anything at all.
That did not happen to us. I was there waiting in line the first day of school choice. We did not get our first choice or even our third. In fact, we got stuck with the school that was last on our list, and it was closest to our home. Made me wonder if they didn't feel like busing her further.
Your right. We didn't like it, so we moved. My sister-in-law, who still lives there, has never gotten her kids in the schools that she wanted.
We are also moving to Ft. Myers are next year. Ft. Myers has one on the top school districts in the nation. Top scores and graduation rate. plus the IB program a big plus........
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mom2KidsNY
Hi. My family and I are thinking about moving to Fort Myers in a few months. Does anyone here have some information on Fort Myers. How are the schools,houses,jobs,people, weather year round etc. We are in our mid twenties with 2 kids. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you !
Where the HECK did you get that school info? WRONG< WRONG< WRONG.....schools suck big time here!!!!!! dropout rate is skyhigh! They lowered the grading system to accomadate the low, low, low test scores....
The IB program that you talk about is a scam, the schools that offer the programs are some of the worst schools around. They try to force the gifted in with the underprivledge. The schools here most if not all have chain link fences around them like prisons. Drug run rampant here, even in the elementry schools. There is a police officer at every public school to quell any wrong doings. Please investigate here personally before assuming anything.
They do not pay the teachers a whole lot here, like other places, maybe thats why they really don't care if the kids in class or not.
PS, switched my daughter to a private school for High School and learned that the Government made them, the private school, also reduce their grade system to the lower standards of the local public schools due to the fact that the private school competes with the public school in sports. Otherwise they would not be able to play any sports with the local teams. The principal of the private school was a BIG sports promoter with his students, a past basketball coach. My son did the public school system here and we learned a few years after he graduated, from him, that he and quite a few would leave after signing in their first class, for the day. The kids would race out of the parking lots and the school system, teachers would do nothing about it. Or bother to take roll call in classes after first period. GEE, didn't the teacher notice that there were 20 open seats in their class room????? Luckily my son excelled in Auto cad class and is now making Great money for 23 years of age. I guess his public school education payed off! He was in the right place at the right time. The teacher actually had my son answering the other students questions about their class work.
Sorry for sounding so negative. I'm assuming it's like this all over the USA. The snowbirds and the torrists just send us off the charts.
The other day an out of state car flipped out at me because he was making a wrong turn and decided to come back into the fast lane, in which we were crawling bumper to bumper, with no room for him to butt in. He some how got into the middle lane caught up to me on my right and I rolled my window as he proceeded to yell at me and call me out to settle it. All this with his wife and baby in his car. I wish I had a stun gun with me, I would have called the police to report him and then proceeded to use it. Road rage here is a major crime and I know I would have ended up arrested and in jail for defending myself. So I called him a doooooosh bag, told him to learn to drive, which really pissed him off more and , and rolled up my window. I could just picture his wife punching him telling him to stop.
Time to get that "concealed weapons permit"
The IB program at Fort Myers High is far from a scam. My younger sister graduated from Fort Myers High with an IB Dipolma. Those who graduate with an IB diploma enter college as Juniors and are awarded a 100% tuition schollarship to their choice of Florida university (among other things). The IB students are kept seperate from the "regular" students, which some students seem to dislike, but overall it is a VERY good program.
However, we are NOT considered top in the nation. Florida has 7 school districts that regularly surpass expected standards on testing, but our district is not one of them. For lots of info and statistics on all school districts go to... schoolmatters.com or nces.ed.gov.
To TJSTRAIN.... your last comment about the road rage incident reminded me of a billboard I saw returning to FL from a vacation. It said
"Warning Tourist: Floridians have the right to use deadly force."
Not trying to be rude here but you asked for the truth.
The truth is the schools are terrible beyond words. My children went to a charter school for about two weeks and we took them out. You would not believe what was considered acceptable in school. Talking about sex, drugs and playing touchy feely IS considered normal. Those words were spoken to me personally by a school administrator. "Well, it has to happen at some time in her life". I almost decked the guy. Really, she is twelve for Gods sake.
There are more kids home schooled here than anywhere. My wife is teaching our children and we all love it. At least they are getting a better education now.
I am now making plans to move away from this place. It is not family friendly at all. The restaurants stink if you asked me. They are the dirtiest I have been in, anywhere.
Yes it is true if you pay $6.00 to go across the bridge to Sanibel it is a world of difference better. But my lord it is expensive. If you do not have millions don't bother to even look over there.
Real estate taxes are stupid high, insurance is stupid high and the traffic is horrible. At least when the snowbirds are here.
Every single person in the construction industry thinks that the snow birds are going to come in, in truck loads and bail them out of the mess the are in. But I challenge you to look at the shear number of homes for sale on the market all across the seaboard. The numbers are staggering.
As for the beautiful sunsets and sugar white sand I say, WHERE? We have been to the beaches here many times over the last year and the water STINKS! It is always, YES ALWAYS filthy dirty and there is more crap washed up on shore than you can imagine, and the air stinks plain and simple. Look up RED TIDE on the internet. As for the sugar white sand, MY BUTT!. I guarantee you can go to Home Depot and get a bag of sand that is whiter and cleaner than the beach sand is here. Again yes it is true there are pocket areas like behind some of the very expensive hotels where the beaches are kept clean and the dead fish and sea weed is kept raked up but in the public areas you are on your own.
I am not making this up to keep you from coming. If you are a very strong willed, and very tolerant person then come on down. Heck you can move in this house in another week, we are leaving this mess! You will find many people jumping through hoops to charge you 30-40% more for a home than it is worth. The city will be more than happy to tax you into the poor house and the restaurants will serve the worse food you will ever eat. This time of year you will find many people driving 12 miles an hour on the highway in the fast lane. And the libraries are wall to wall with people. (I am not saying they do not have the same right as anyone else, I am just stating that they are crowded)
Plain and simple I would not recommend this area at all if you have kids, unless you do not care about them. We only have one chance to raise our children, if we screw that up...NOTHING we will ever accomplish in life will matter because we have failed!
Hi. My family and I are thinking about moving to Fort Myers in a few months. Does anyone here have some information on Fort Myers. How are the schools,houses,jobs,people, weather year round etc. We are in our mid twenties with 2 kids. Any info would be appreciated. Thank you !
Think twice about the area. Do a search, there is quite a bit of info on Fort Myers. I have lived here for a long, long time (1960's), it has changed, and not for the better. People are moving here from Miami to get away from the crime there, more and more crime here too. I always said that this coast would become the east coast of Fl, it has. Northern Florida is better, but I would stay away from the coast. We went through four back to back hurricanes, what a nightmare! No electric for a week or longer, it was so hot, a cold shower felt like heaven! Do your homework, you will see.
Gateway Elementary incorporates multiple intelligence, which is a good thing. I wish all the schools did. It is in the East Zone.(they are divided into zones N, S, E, and W.) You have to choose the school by numbering from one(favorite) to seven. You do not always get the one you want. If you can afford private school, there are some good ones.
Good luck with choice.
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