School choice: 16 private schools in Collier County take state vouchers, here's the list

Nikki Ross, Naples Daily News
·3 min read
Thirty-six of Lee County's 53 private schools will accept vouchers for the upcoming school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.
Thirty-six of Lee County's 53 private schools will accept vouchers for the upcoming school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Sixteen of Collier County's 32 private schools will accept vouchers for the upcoming school year, according to the Florida Department of Education.

In March, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law HB1, an expansion of private school vouchers. The expansion removes the income cap and makes all Florida students eligible for taxpayer-financed vouchers to attend private schools – an average of $7,775 is awarded per student.

The Collier County School District would not provide information on how many students are opting to use a voucher in place of public school nor would they comment on the financial impacts of the voucher program.

The district did say in an emailed statement that enrollment is on pace to meet last year's enrollment.

Here are the 16 private schools that take vouchers in Collier County.

Educational Pathways Academy

  • Grades: 1-8

  • Denomination: Non-denominational

  • Accreditation: Not applicable (NA)

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Specific learning disability

First Baptist Academy

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: Baptist

  • Accreditation: Cognia and Association of Christian Schools International

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Visually impaired, language impaired, specific learning disability, other health impaired.

Foundations Academy of Naples

  • Grades: K-4

  • Denomination: Assemblies of God

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Montessori Academy of Naples

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: NA

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Developmentally delayed, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disability, emotional or behavioral disability, language impaired, orthopedically impaired, speech impaired, intellectual disability.

Naples Adventist Christian School

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: Seventh Day Adventist

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Naples Christian Academy

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: Non-denominational

  • Accreditation: Cognia and Association of Christian Schools International

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Nicaea Academy Inc.

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: Non-denominational

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Speech impaired, emotional or behavioral disability, developmentally delayed, intellectual disability.

Rhodora J. Donahue Academy

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: Catholic

  • Accreditation: Association of Independent Schools of Florida

  • City: Ave Maria

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Royal Palm Academy

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: Catholic

  • Accreditation: Florida Council of Independent Schools and COGNIA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Developmentally delayed, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disability.

Saint Ann School

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: Catholic

  • Accreditation: Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Gifted, specific learning disability, emotional or behavioral disability, visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, language impaired, speech impaired, autism spectrum disorder.

Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: Catholic

  • Accreditation: Florida Catholic Conference Accreditation Program

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Autism spectrum disorder, gifted, specific learning disability, language impaired, speech impaired, occupational therapy.

Saint John Neumann Catholic High School

  • Grades: 9-12

  • Denomination: Catholic

  • Accreditation: Cognia

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Seacrest Country Day School

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: NA

  • Accreditation: Florida Council of Independent Schools

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Intellectual Disability

The Village School of Naples

  • Grades: PreK-12

  • Denomination: Methodist

  • Accreditation: Florida Council of Independent Schools

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

Unique Learning Center

  • Grades: K-12

  • Denomination: NA

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: Intellectual Disability, speech impaired, language impaired, emotional or behavioral disability, specific learning disability, autism spectrum disorder, developmentally delayed.

Waves of Wonder Montessori School

  • Grades: PreK-8

  • Denomination: NA

  • Accreditation: NA

  • City: Naples

  • Disabilities Served: NA

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: List of 16 private schools in Collier County that take vouchers