Fresh Start in North Naples: (1)

Fresh Start in North Naples: Bear Creek Elementary Opens with First-Ever Pre-K Wing

North Naples welcomes a brand-new campus to the neighborhood—Bear Creek Elementary, Collier County’s 32nd elementary school, officially opened its doors on August 11, 2025 for CCPS’s first day of school.

Why It Matters

• Pre‑K’s inaugural showtime. Bear Creek features Collier’s first public elementary Pre‑K wing—a milestone in early childhood education.

• Immediate relief. With rising enrollment pressure, this new school brings breathing room to overcrowded spots like Laurel Oak Elementary and supports booming growth in the Corkscrew Elementary zone.

Built Smarter — The Design Intent

• Safety-centric layout. The entire carline operates within the campus, keeping traffic off Immokalee Road and reinforcing safe drop-offs.

• Green, sustainable cooling. The property hosts a 28-foot thermal energy storage tank, a smart system chilling and storing water during low-demand hours—saving energy and money via FPL rebates and a projected payback in under 3.5 years.

• Spot-on siting. The chiller plant and tank are strategically placed next to the main electrical room to minimize building piping distance and construction costs.

A Campus with Character

• Spread across 22 acres at Immokalee Road and Moulder Drive, the two-story, 128,000‑sq ft building rolls out an appealing mix of safety and spread-out style.

• Initially enrolling around 600 students from Pre‑K through 5th grade—with room to grow to 1,000.

• Principal Margaux Horne, 2023–24 CCPS Principal of the Year, is steering the ship—focused on culture, creativity, and connection from day one.

• Traditions under way: from a future school song to community service days, Horne wants Bear Creek to feel like home from Day One