We’ve come a long way in just over a decade.  In August 1998,  Marco Island Charter Middle School opened with 200 students, 14 portable classrooms and a three-year contract.  The school was established so that middle school-aged students would be able to stay on the island. The school is a charter school, which means it operates as an independent contractor within the Collier County District. It is a public school, so any student in Collier County is eligible to attend. In August 2000, several new portable classrooms and an administrative building were added to the MICMS campus, bringing the total to 27 units.  Eventually three more portables were added bringing the total to 30.  On August 20, 2007 more than 400 students entered a new state of the art facility.  The new school has a two-story academic building and a separate related arts building, which encompasses about 69,000 square feet. The $17.3 million school can accommodate over 400 students.