FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — Students at Cypress Lake Middle School got their first look at a brand-new campus after years of construction on Friday.
The school is officially open for education. The rebuild gives students a newer, more modern and secure campus with more room for the arts.
Cypress Lake Middle School. Credit: Lee County School District
The Cypress Lake Panthers celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony showcasing what makes their school special: music, dance and the arts.
Cypress Lake is one of the district’s three designated arts centers for sixth through eighth graders. The rebuild was part of a promise made in 2018 when voters approved a half-cent sales tax to help fund school improvements.
A big part of this project was making more space for those programs. The dance studio and music room are both twice the size they were before.
Although students are in the new building, the project isn’t completely finished yet. Construction will continue through February.
That includes tearing down the old cafeteria, removing the portable classrooms and adding a new bus ramp. The improvements mark a significant upgrade for the arts-focused middle school.