Charlotte County Public Schools

Charlotte County Public Schools operates all public K-12 schools in Charlotte County, Florida (United States). It covers Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Rotonda West, Babcock Ranch and surrounding areas. It operates ten elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, and six specialty education centers.

History

The roots of the district are traced back to 1888 when the first school building in the area was built on the corner of Marion Street and Harvey Street in Punta Gorda. At the time, African Americans were not allowed to attend a white school. The first colored school was built in 1893. Colored people were not introduced into the white schools in Charlotte County until 1964. Accelerated growth in the community beginning in 1950 resulted in the rapid expansion of the school district. New, larger schools started popping up all over the county much more rapidly than before.^[5]

Notable staff members

Port Charlotte High School

• Doug Dunakey - Former professional golfer, became the golf coach for PCHS after his professional career.^[6]

General

• Sallie Jones was the first female superintendent of schools in Florida. She was appointed superintendent of CCPS in 1937.^[7]

Notable alumni

Charlotte High School

• Jeff Corsaletti — professional baseball player who currently plays for the Portland Sea Dogs, the Double-A minor league affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.^[8]
• Matthew LaPorta — major league forst baseman for the Cleveland Indians,^[9] 2008 Beijing Olympics participant.
• Burton Lawless — former football guard who played for the Dallas Cowboys in the National Football League from 1975 through 1979.^[10] Listed as one of the "100 Greatest Players of the First 100 Years" for Florida High School Football.^[11]
• Tommy Murphy — an outfielder for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.^[12]

Port Charlotte High School

• Chris Demakes, Shaun Grief, and Vinnie Fiorello are members of Less Than Jake, a ska punk band.^[13]
• John Hall (class of 1992) was a place-kicker in the NFL. He played for the New York Jets (1997–2002), then was transferred to the Washington Redskins who he played for until 2006 when he was released; he then retired.^[14]
• Tony Hargrove (class of 2001) Currently a defensive end for the New Orleans Saints, who Hargrove helped claim victory for in the Super Bowl XLIV.^[15] He has also played for the Buffalo Bills and the St. Louis Rams.^[14]

Lemon Bay High School

• Denise Amber Lee - was kidnapped, raped, and murdered on January 17, 2008 despite multiple calls to 9-1-1.^[16]

Elementary schools

• Deep Creek Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 720 students. Their principal is Deborah Carney. Their mascot is the Bear Cub.^[17] Their school colors are blue and gold. It is classified as an "A" school.
• East Elementary School is K-5 school located in Punta Gorda with 500 students. Their principal is Dr. Lori Carr. Their mascot is the Eagle. Their school colors are red and white. It has earned an "A" rating and has been considered an AYP school for three years.^[18]
• Kingsway Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 780 students. Their principal is Lori Davis. Their mascot is the Cougar. Their school colors are blue and white. It is classified as an "A" school.^[19]
• Liberty Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 780 students. Their principal is Thomas Gifford. Their mascot is the Patriot. Their colors are red, white, and blue. It is classified as an "A" school.^[20]
• Meadow Park Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 764 students. Their principal is Asena Mott. Their mascot is the Alligator. Their colors are green and gold. It has been considered an "A" school for five years. It has earned the "You Make a Difference" award.^[21]
• Myakka River Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 660 students. Their principal is Jeffrey Harvey. Their mascot is the Manatee. It is classified as an "A" school.^[22] It was one of 99 schools nationwide recognized by Richard W. Riley as a Title 1 school for offering outstanding programs for disadvantaged students.^[23]
• Neil Armstrong Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 557 students. Their principal is Angie Taillon. Their mascot is the Astro. Their colors are red and white. It is classified as an "A" school. It is a distinguished school classified as AYP.^[24]
• Peace River Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Port Charlotte with 475 students. Their principal is Bertie Alvarez. Their mascot is the Panther. It is classified as an "A" school.^[25]
• Sallie Jones Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Punta Gorda with 700 students. Their principal is Carmel Kisiday. Their mascot is the Tiger. Their colors are hunter green, red, navy blue, white and khaki. It is the only elementary school in Charlotte County enforcing a school uniform policy. It is classified as an "A" school.^[26]
• Vineland Elementary School is a K-5 school located in Rotonda with 900 students. Their principal is Laura C. Blunier. Their mascot is the Great Blue Heron. Their colors are blue and white. It is classified as an "A" school.^[27]

Middle schools

• L.A. Ainger Middle School is a school located in Rotonda West with 1115 students in grades 6-8. Their principal is Marcia Louden. Their mascot is the Cougar. It's been classified as an "A" school for seven years.^[28]
• Murdock Middle School is a middle school located in Port Charlotte with 950 students. It was beginning to be constructed in 1986 and open for its first official school year in 1988. Their principal is Christine Z. Dollinger. Their mascot is the Mariner. The school has earned the status of a Red Carpet School and a Blue Ribbon School. It is also classified as an "A" school.^[29]
• Port Charlotte Middle School is a middle school located in Port Charlotte with 1030 students. Their principal is Demetrius Revelas. Their mascot is the Terrier. It is classified as an "A" school.^[30]
• Punta Gorda Middle School is a middle school located in Punta Gorda with 1050 students. Their principal is Cathy Corsaletti. Their mascot is the Eagle. Their colors are red and blue.^[31]

High schools

Port Charlotte High School

Charlotte High School (old building)

• Port Charlotte High School is a high school located in Port Charlotte with 2,250 students. Their principal is Steve Dionisio. Their mascot is the Pirate. Their colors are red, white, and black. It is classified as an "A" school.^[32]
• Lemon Bay High School is a high school located in Englewood with 1,560 students. Their principal is Bob Bedford. Their mascot is the Manta Ray. Their colors are navy blue and orange.^[33] It has been classified as an "A" school in previous years.
• Charlotte High School is a high school located in Punta Gorda with 2,006 students. Their principal is Barney Duffy. Their mascot is the Tarpon. Their colors are blue and gold.^[34]

References

External links

• Charlotte County Public Schools official webpage
• Florida Department of Education