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Alternative charter high school · Lee · Cape Coral, Florida

North Nicholas High School

North Nicholas High School rates 4.5 on our scale, which leans on how many students test on grade level; on Florida's learning-gains rating it is Commendable.

High schools, 1 to 10This alternative campus against every public high school around it rated on verified state test data, not only alternative ones.
4.5this school

4.5 on a one-to-ten scale; the Lee median is 4.8.

#3,348 of 3,811 schools in Florida · Lee: 29 high schools rated, median 4.8 · Florida School Improvement Rating 2025-26: Commendable, on learning gains

The brief

A Lee alternative charter high school where students score 48 points below what's typical for similar communities.

Florida rates North Nicholas High School on learning gains, not on how many students test on grade level. Its 2025-26 School Improvement Rating is Commendable, on 53% of possible points (Commendable starts at 50%). In reading, 42% of eligible students made learning gains, and in math, 64%; 97% of students were tested. Florida has rated it Commendable in each of its 7 ratings since the 2016-17 school year.

North Nicholas High School is a charter school: it enrolls by application rather than by address, so check its enrollment process directly before choosing a neighborhood for it.

Math12%43 points below the Florida average of 55%Grade 8 and high-school course exams · 81 students tested · 2026 FAST
Reading24%37 points below the Florida average of 61%Grades 8–10 · 109 students tested · 2026 FAST
Proficiency is down 7 points across the 18-year record (2009–2026) and has held near 18% recently.2026 FAST; 38 test records from FL state assessments and EdFacts (NCES).

What the rating is made of, each out of 10

Student Progress
9.1
25% of the rating
Academics
1.9
25% of the rating
College Readiness
5.0
30% of the rating
Resources & Environment
1.3
20% of the rating

Academics is status: the share of students testing on grade level. Florida's School Improvement Rating counts learning gains instead, and Student Progress is our school-wide proficiency trend, not Florida's measure of each student's gains.

About this school's data1 correction under review · rating: low confidence · 7 sources, 2019–2026

Every number on this page comes from a published source with a stated period. Where a source is partial, aging, an estimate, or describes a surrounding area rather than the school, that limitation is named here.

Attendance data is under correction. This existing Resources & Environment score and overall rating may still reflect an unverified attendance input.

Full Profile · 4/4 metrics

Multi-year averages used by the rating model: math 16% (multi-year average, 2009-2026) · reading/ELA 16% (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

School directory (enrollment, grades, staff, contact)
NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) · SY 2023–24 · Medium confidence
  • Source period: SY 2023–24. A newer release may be available.
MySchoolScout rating and rank
MySchoolScout ranking model · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Derived as a weighted blend of the component scores shown in Academics from state assessment, EdFacts growth, and NCES resource records.
Math proficiency
State department of education · 2026 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Reading/ELA proficiency
State department of education · 2026 FAST · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived from source records rather than read directly from one field.
Student progress (growth)
State assessments · Mixed source periods · Low confidence
  • Vintage not available. Do not use this measure alone.
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Derived as the fitted year-over-year slope of proficiency from multi-year assessment records.
Neighborhood (income, housing, education)
U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates · Low confidence
  • Older source: ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates. Use as historical context.
  • Reported for the ZCTA for ZIP 33991; this does not measure the attendance area.
Programs (AP/IB, athletics, gifted)
CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22 · Medium confidence
  • Available for part of the eligible units; results may not represent the full area.
  • Source period: SY 2021–22. A newer release may be available.

Evidence periods: Rating mixed/unknown input periods; assessments multi-year average, 2009-2026; directory SY 2023–24

About our dataHow we calculate scores

The neighborhood

Where it sits, and what the area looks like.
North Nicholas High School and the 20 nearest high schools, each pin colored by its score.Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries. Verify the enrollment path with the district.

The area

Median income
$82,927
Median home value
$351,100
Median rent
$1,914/mo
College educated
24.6%
Homeownership
79%
Poverty rate
8.7%

U.S. Census ACS 5-year estimates · ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates for the ZCTA associated with school ZIP 33991; this is area context, not an attendance boundary.

Getting around

Walk Score
59
Somewhat Walkable
Bike Score
43
Somewhat Bikeable

Walk, transit and bike scores byWalk Score

Programs and who goes here

What the campus offers, and who it enrolls.

Programs

Gifted and talented
Available
A program for qualifying students · CRDC via Urban Institute · SY 2021–22

Who goes here

Free or reduced lunch
29.4%
Students qualifying for federal meal assistance. Shown separately, never in the score.

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD).

Compare nearby

Grade-compatible schools using the same rating model.
Public-school ratings. Grade-compatible alternative schools within 15 miles, best rated first.
  1. Pace School for Girls8.2 mi
    5.3Compare →
  2. Success Academy9.0 mi
    5.2Compare →
  3. North Nicholas High Schoolthis school
    4.5
  4. Lee County Acceleration Academies9.1 mi
    4.5Compare →
  5. Northern Palms Charter High School6.3 mi · charter
    3.5Compare →
  6. Island Park High School12.8 mi · charter
    3.4Compare →
  7. Coronado High School7.2 mi · charter
    3.3Compare →
  8. City of Palms Charter High School8.6 mi · charter
    3.1Compare →
Seven grade-compatible alternative schools using the same rating model sit within 15 miles, and two rate higher than North Nicholas High School.Public-school ratings. Alternative schools only, which are few, so the distance reaches 15 miles. Straight-line distance from this campus. Pins are locations, not attendance boundaries; verify the enrollment path with the district.

Distance is proximity only; it is not attendance eligibility.

Charter · enrollment unverified: Potential charter option; enrollment requirements have not been verified.

Enrollment path unverified: Potential public school; its attendance or application path has not been classified.

The record

What is on file, and where each number came from.

Questions families ask

What grades does North Nicholas High School serve?

North Nicholas High School serves students in grades 7th through 12th.

How many students attend North Nicholas High School?

North Nicholas High School has an enrollment of approximately 323 students.

What is the student-teacher ratio at North Nicholas High School?

The student-teacher ratio at North Nicholas High School is 161.5:1. A lower ratio generally means more individual attention per student. The national average is approximately 16:1 for public schools.

How does North Nicholas High School rank in FL?

North Nicholas High School ranks #3,348 of 3,811 schools in FL.

What is North Nicholas High School's MySchoolScout rating?

North Nicholas High School has a current MySchoolScout rating of 4.5 out of 10. This score combines the level-appropriate components shown in the rating breakdown and leans on how many students test on grade level; equity data is shown separately for context. Florida rates North Nicholas High School on learning gains instead: its 2025-26 School Improvement Rating is Commendable, on 53% of possible points (Commendable starts at 50%).

What are the test scores at North Nicholas High School?

Based on loaded state assessment records, North Nicholas High School has 16% math proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026) and 16% reading/ELA proficiency (multi-year average, 2009-2026).

Is North Nicholas High School a charter school?

Yes, North Nicholas High School is a charter school. Charter schools are publicly funded but independently operated, often with more flexibility in curriculum and teaching methods.

Is North Nicholas High School a Title I school?

No, North Nicholas High School is not currently a Title I school.

What does the Free & Reduced Lunch percentage mean for North Nicholas High School?

29.4% of students at North Nicholas High School qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. This is a commonly used indicator of economic need and provides important context when interpreting test scores.

School facts

Grades
7th – 12th
Enrollment
323
Student-teacher ratio
161.5:1
Teachers (FTE)
2
Type
Alternative
Title I
No
Florida School Improvement Rating
Commendable (2025-26, on learning gains)
Setting
Midsize City
County
Lee County
Phone
(239) 242-4230
4-year graduation
25–29%
Federal four-year cohort rate, class of 2023 (EdFacts). Counts students who need more than four years, common where students arrive mid-year and behind on credits, as not graduating.
Rank in district
#89 of 111
Schools in district
120
District spending per student
$12,108
NCES F-33 · FY 2023 · This annual source is three years behind the current year.
District child poverty rate
12.7%
Census SAIPE · 2024
Area population (ZIP 33991)
25,991
Area average commute
29.6 min
Area median age
46.5

NCES Common Core of Data (CCD) (SY 2023–24).

Sources and official links

Keep exploring

Related reading

Data from NCES Common Core of Data, Florida Dept. of Education, and U.S. Census ACS for the 2023–24 school year. Rankings computed by MySchoolScout. See all data sources.