Hodges University

At Evangelical Christian School, our mission is to provide students from preschool through 12th grade with an excellent academic education in an environment that honors the Lord Jesus Christ. We are committed to challenging each student to reach their highest potential mentally, physically, socially, and spiritually as they grow in both knowledge and character.

The original school met for two years (1973-74 and 1974-75) in the Sunday School rooms of the First Presbyterian Church in downtown Ft. Myers with grades K-6th. The number of students the first year was around 75 but doubled in size by the second year. The number of faculty and staff that first year was 9, including Mr. Dunn. Employees today total around 130.

In 1974, the school held its first kindergarten graduation. The school expanded to high school with a senior class of two graduating in June of 1975. The Kono System, a radio link to other school sites around the country, was used in the Jr. High and High School classes. There was only one secondary teacher on site at ECS, Paul Deschanes. He sat at a radio console and taught history to all of the schools on the systems, and our students got their other classes from the other teachers on the system. Monitors helped keep order in the classroom. The elementary had classroom teachers.