New high school to open up in Collier County

A ribbon-cutting celebration for Aubrey Rogers High School took place Tuesday morning.

The ribbon cutting was 22 years in the making. Way back in 2001, Collier County schools bought the 60 acres that are now home to Aubrey Rogers.

Parents, students, teachers and taxpayers rest assured: the building is state of the art and brand new.

Nothing here dates back to the turn of the century.

“It’s exciting because the friendships that are going to come from this, from all grade levels, are so different, because they’re all in the same boat together,” said Dr. Leslie Ricciardelli, CCPS superintendent. “They’re all brand new. They all get to experience all the same things at the same time.”

Ellen Keegan will lead the high school as principal. She’s counting the days until students get here.

“It’s been a long year of a lot of grunt work, a lot of planning, but we’re here, we made it. I’m excited for them to walk in the door on August 10th,” Keegan said.

Darian Alvarez-Garcia is a senior who spent his freshman, sophomore and junior years at Naples High. He plans to be part of the football team and marching band.

“On day one, I hope to meet all my teachers, make some new friends, create a nice, close friend group, and honestly just get a feel of the place. Start some new cultures and traditions,” Alvarez-Garcia said.

“We’re going to be putting out a red carpet,” Keegan said. “We’re going to make it special for these students because this is a legacy that they are creating.”

The new school has a welcome center, learning studios, student union, performing arts center and an engineering academy.

Aubrey Rogers High School is named in honor of the late Collier County Sheriff who played a huge role in founding the county’s junior deputy league in the 1960s.

The price tag is nearly $100 million.