In partnership and with feedback from the School Board, Principals, and TALC, the Safe Start Initiative creates three tiers of start times instead of the current four. With the School Board's approval, the start and end times for the 2025-2026 school year would be:
Elementary Schools
8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- Allen Park Elementary
- Amanecer Elementary
- Bonita Springs Elementary
- Caloosa Elementary
- Cape Elementary
- Colonial Elementary
- Diplomat Elementary
- Dr. Carrie D. Robinson Littleton Elementary
- Edgewood Academy
- Edison Park Creative and Expressive Arts School
- Fort Myers Beach Elementary
- Franklin Park Elementary
- G. Weaver Hipps Elementary
- Gateway Elementary
- Gulf Elementary
- Hancock Creek Elementary
- Harns Marsh Elementary
- Heights Elementary
- J. Colin English Elementary
- James Stephens Elementary
- Lehigh Elementary
- Manatee Elementary
- Mirror Lakes Elementary
- Orange River Elementary
- Orangewood Elementary
- Patriot Elementary
- Pelican Elementary
- Pine Island Elementary
- Pinewoods Elementary
- Ray V. Pottorf Elementary
- Rayma C. Page Elementary
- River Hall Elementary
- San Carlos Park Elementary
- Spring Creek Elementary
- Sunshine Elementary
- Tanglewood Elementary
- Three Oaks Elementary
- Tice Elementary
- Tortuga Preserve Elementary
- Trafalgar Elementary
- Treeline Elementary
- Tropic Isles Elementary
- Villas Elementary
7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Hector A. Cafferata, Jr. Elementary
- Skyline Elementary
K-8 Combination Schools
7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts
- The Alva School
- Bayshore School
- The Sanibel School
- Veterans Park Academy for the Arts
Middle Schools
9:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- Bonita Springs Middle Center for the Arts
- Caloosa Middle
- Challenger Middle
- Cypress Lake Middle
- Diplomat Middle
- Fort Myers Middle
- Gulf Middle
- Harns Marsh Middle
- Lehigh Acres Middle
- Lemuel Teal Middle
- Lexington Middle
- Mariner Middle
- Oak Hammock Middle
- Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle
- Three Oaks Middle
- Trafalgar Middle
- Varsity Lakes Middle
High Schools
7:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
- Bonita Springs High
- Cape Coral High
- Cypress Lake High
- Dunbar High
- East Lee County High
- Estero High
- Fort Myers High
- Gateway High
- Ida S. Baker High
- Island Coast High
- Lehigh Senior High
- Mariner High
- North Fort Myers High
- Riverdale High
- South Fort Myers High
Special Centers
Early Childhood Learning Center
- Head Start School Hours: 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- Infant & Toddler School Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
8:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
- Cape Coral Technical College
- Fort Myers Technical College
8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- Young Parent Education Program
9:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m.
- Royal Palm Exceptional Center
- Buckingham Exceptional Student Center
- Success Academy
The three-tiered start system builds upon the efficiency already provided to busing by proximity-based school assignment zones. Spacing start times an hour apart allows drivers to finish one tier before moving onto the next. Students will spend less time waiting for a bus and more time engaged in learning, and drivers will be better focused on safety and reliability.
Once in place, the School District will monitor the system to make necessary adjustments.