Rayma C. Page Elementary School

17000 S. Tamiami Trail
Fort Myers, FL 33908

Telephone: 239- 432-2737
FAX: 239- 432-2749
Principal: Susan Caputo (e-mail)

2005-06 enrollment: about 500
School Web site: http://www.lee.k12.fl.us/schools/rcp/

Overview: Rayma C. Page Elementary School is housed in a former Kmart building, but don't let its location fool you.

The Lee County School District bought and renovated the building at Alico Road and U.S. 41 for $17.6 million, turning it into a 1,000-seat school. Plans initially called for moving the school, but that action was deemed to be too intense for the environmentally sensitive land in the proposed relocation area.

Ask Principal Susan Caputo about her favorite qualities of the school, and the school's appearance will be near the top of the list. Caputo said there's more than just the appearance of the renovated school that's attracting students one of Lee County's newest schools.

"I'm thrilled with my staff," she said. "I worked very hard at recruiting my staff from within the district and from out-of-state."

Page Elementary is one of three schools in south Lee County that opened its doors in fall 2005. The school opened with an enrollment of about 500 students.

Caputo said she and her staff are concerned about the individual needs of students in an environment with structure and discipline. She said there are always ways to get better.

"There's always room for improvement, as we develop our curriculum and establish policies — every step of the way," she said. "There are so many ways that we want to meet the needs of students."

The school's opening helped alleviate congestion in other south Lee County schools. Caputo said the San Carlos Park school will continue to meet the educational needs of its students.

"We're a beginning school," she said. "We're new and we're growing."