James Stephens Community School, 1333 Marsh Ave.: a STEM magnet, K-6, 730 students (2024-25), a C in Florida's 2026 school grades. 239-337-1333.
Last checked Oct. 9, 2026. Sources: The School District of Lee County, its 2026-27 Student Enrollment Plan (PDF) and school enrollment zones, the school’s website, the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades and the federal NCES school directory.
James Stephens Community School is a School District of Lee County STEM magnet school on Marsh Avenue in east Fort Myers, inside the city limits. The district lists it with its K-8 schools and gives its grades as kindergarten through 6; the federal count for 2024-25 covered pre-K through grade 5. It is the only school inside the city in elementary zone D, which covers about 9% of the address points in Fort Myers.
Who to call
- Front office: 239-337-1333, 1333 Marsh Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33905
- School website: jsa.leeschools.net
- Enrolling and choosing a school: Student Enrollment, 239-337-8247, or text “SDLC” to 239-299-7332; student enrollment page
- Buses: the district’s transportation page, or the main line, 239-334-1102
| Address | 1333 Marsh Ave., Fort Myers, FL 33905 |
| Phone | 239-337-1333 |
| Grades | Kindergarten to 6, according to the district |
| Principal | Jaclyn Fantasia |
| 2026 state grade | C (43% of points) |
| Enrollment zone | Elementary zone D |
Principal. Jaclyn Fantasia is the principal, according to the district’s K-8 school directory. The school’s own staff page loads its list in a browser tab that could not be read for this page.
Enrollment and teachers
- Federal count: 730 students in the 2024-25 school year, with 36 full-time-equivalent classroom teachers, according to the NCES directory. That is about 20 students per teacher.
State report card
Florida gave James Stephens Community School a C in its 2026 school grades, the same grade it earned in 2025 and 2024. The school earned 43% of the points possible, according to the Florida Department of Education’s 2026 school grades file. The school’s state report card has current enrollment and results by student group; it is an interactive dashboard that could not be read for this page.
| 2026 school grade measure | Result |
|---|---|
| School grade | C (43% of points) |
| Third grade reading achievement | 34% |
| English language arts achievement | 37% |
| English language arts learning gains | 54% |
| Math achievement | 41% |
| Math learning gains | 48% |
| Science achievement | 26% |
Florida grades schools A to F on the share of possible points earned across these measures. Achievement is the share of tested students on grade level; learning gains is the share who improved from the year before. For an elementary school, A is 62% of possible points or more, B is 54% to 61%, C is 41% to 53% and D is 32% to 40%, the state’s file says.
Enrollment zone and feeder schools
Lee County does not assign an elementary school by street address alone. Under the district’s 2026-27 Student Enrollment Plan (PDF), families rank the elementary schools in the proximity zone their address falls in, and the district guarantees a seat, with bus service, at a school with room in that zone. When a school has more applicants than seats, a lottery gives preference to students in special programs, then siblings, then homes within 2 miles of the school, then the school nearest the home. Students who live within 2 miles of their school are not bused. Any family may also request The Sanibel School, Pine Island Elementary or Fort Myers Beach Elementary, without district transportation.
Four elementary zones cover Fort Myers. Of the current address points the City of Fort Myers lists inside its limits (city GIS), about 46% fall in zone J, 42% in zone H, 9% in zone D and 2% in zone O on the district’s 2026-27 zone layer. Zone D has six schools: The Alva School, James Stephens Community, Manatee, Orange River, River Hall and Tice. James Stephens is the only one inside the city. Students enrolled at James Stephens for fifth grade are placed there for sixth grade, and the school is not open for other families to rank for sixth grade, the plan says.
Feeder schools. The district does not publish feeder lists. Fifth graders rank the middle schools in their middle school zone; about 86% of Fort Myers addresses are in zone EE, with Fort Myers Middle and Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle. A younger sibling with the same parent and address is placed with an older one.
Changes approved. The School Board approved the 2026-27 enrollment plan on Dec. 1, 2025, the district’s zones page says. The plan’s main change was to high school busing; the elementary and middle proximity zones, in use since 2023-24 and 2024-25, continue.
Check any address on the district’s map of school enrollment zones (elementary, K-8, middle and high), and call Student Enrollment at 239-337-8247 with questions.
Calendar and bell times
From the district’s 2026-27 instructional calendar (PDF), approved by the School Board on Nov. 4, 2025:
- Monday, Oct. 19: no school for students (remote teacher duty day)
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day, schools closed
- Nov. 23-27: Thanksgiving break
- Dec. 21 to Jan. 1: winter break; Monday, Jan. 4, is a remote teacher duty day, so students return Tuesday, Jan. 5
- Thursday, May 27, 2027: last day for students, early dismissal
Bell times. James Stephens Community School runs from 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., according to the district’s bell times page. The full calendar and School Board details are in our Fort Myers schools guide.
Programs
James Stephens is a STEM magnet school that builds science, technology, engineering and math into every subject, including media, art, music and physical education, according to the district’s magnet schools page. The school’s site has pages for its primary and intermediate STEM labs, a robotics club, a science fair club and Mustang Media News. Students wear uniforms, the district’s directory says.
More on Fort Myers schools
- The district’s K-8 school directory, with the principal, phone and zone for each school
- Every public school in Fort Myers, with zones and report cards
- Our Fort Myers schools guide for the full calendar, enrollment steps and School Board meetings
Frequently asked questions
What grades does James Stephens Community School serve?
James Stephens Community School serves kindergarten through grade 6, according to the district. It is at 1333 Marsh Ave. in Fort Myers, and its main line is 239-337-1333.
What is James Stephens Community School’s Florida school grade?
James Stephens Community School earned a C in Florida’s 2026 school grades, with 43% of possible points.
Which middle school does James Stephens feed into?
James Stephens fifth graders stay at the school for sixth grade, the district’s plan says. For seventh grade, students rank the middle schools in their zone; most of Fort Myers is in zone EE, with Fort Myers Middle and Paul Laurence Dunbar Middle.
What time does James Stephens Community School start?
James Stephens Community School runs from 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., according to the district’s bell times page.
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