Today, Collier County Public Schools (CCPS) celebrated the opening of its newest high school—Aubrey Rogers High School—the first CCPS high school to open in 19 years! The 60-acre property was purchased in 2001 thanks to the foresight of District staff and Collier County school board members. This forward thinking allowed CCPS to pay for the school in cash without having to issue a bond or local tax increase.
CCPS did as much as possible to preserve what makes this property uniquely Southwest Florida: wetlands, native flowers, cypress trees, and wildlife habitats. The singular, multi-story building minimizes the environmental footprint and is oriented toward a cypress dome containing a boardwalk for student and staff use.
Aubrey Rogers High School was designed with collaboration in mind. For example, there are social stairs for students to work together, eat breakfast or lunch, or just enjoy being a student. School leaders creatively named spaces to align with the school’s Patriots mascot. When students enter campus on the first day of school (August 10, 2023), they’ll be walking through areas such as Independence Hall, Liberty Lounge, Freedom Hall, and Allegiance Alley—a space that stretches the entire length of the building and is flanked by arts and athletics. Real-world learning will also be offered through five Career Academies:
· Engineering
· Health Sciences
· Information Technology
· Entrepreneurship and Finance
· Law Studies
The school is named after the late Collier County Sheriff Aubrey Rogers. Sheriff Rogers established the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) Youth Relations program in 1977, a groundbreaking concept that put deputies on school campuses and still benefits our community today. He was also instrumental in founding the Collier County Junior Deputy League in the 1960’s, bringing opportunities for children to go camping and to be mentored by deputies.
Aubrey Rogers High School will officially welcome students on the first day of school—Thursday, August 10, 2023. To learn more about the school and all that it offers, visit www.collierschools.com/arh.
Aubrey Rogers High School
Timeline:
· 2001: Collier School Board purchases the 60-acre property.
· January 2019: Collier School Board chooses site west of Livingston Road, off Veterans Memorial Boulevard.
· March 2019: Collier School Board selects Zyscovich Architects to design the school.
· July 2020: School Design is completed.
· April 2020: Collier School Board approves Owen-Ames-Kimball to manage construction.
· November 2021: Official groundbreaking to celebrate new high school construction.
· September 2023: Collier School Board names Aubrey Rogers High School.
· August 10, 2023: Staff will welcome students for School Year 2023-24.
Signature Features:
· A singular, multi-story building designed to minimize the footprint and preserve much of what makes this property uniquely southwest Florida: wetlands, cypress trees, native flowers, and wildlife habitat
o The building is oriented toward a cypress dome to maximize views and the pristine nature of the property.
· Hands-on learning will be embedded throughout this new high school and highlighted through real-world learning in five Career Academies:
o Engineering
o Health Sciences
o Information Technology
o Entrepreneurship and Finance
o Law Studies
· A 1,350-seat Performing Arts Center will anchor the fine arts wing
o Balcony transforms into multiple spaces:
§ Large classroom
§ Professional learning presentation room
§ Theater in the round for drama classes
§ Multi-purpose setup for wrestling, cheerleading, or dance
· The Commons will be the school ‘town square’
o Stretches nearly the entire width of the building
o Bright spaces with floor to ceiling windows
o Space for students to collaborate, eat, and learn together
· Student Union
o Designed to be the media center for 21st Century
o Collaborative spaces for students to work on projects
o Technology support through a “Genius Bar”
o Video production studio
· Sports Complex
o 4,000-seat stadium with track
o Expansive green areas for field sports
o Seating for 300 at both the baseball and softball fields
o Tennis Center featuring seating for more than a hundred
Background Information:
· Aubrey Rogers High meets current and future enrollment needs.
o Impact will be immediate because it more evenly balances student enrollment at the high school level within CCPS.
· 19 years since Collier County Public Schools opened a new high school.
o Golden Gate High and Palmetto Ridge High Schools opened in 2004.
· The Collier County School Board and district staff members have been proactive in acquiring land for future schools.
o This 60-acre site was purchased in 2001.
· The school website is www.collierschools.com/arh.
Photo courtesy of Collier County Public Schools