Lely High School opened its doors to students in the winter of the 1974/75 school year. In the 1990s the population of Naples was rising. Lely was becoming overcrowded, so three new buildings were added onto the school. In 2004 construction for Golden Gate High School was complete. Golden Gate High School's completion relieved the overcrowding of both Lely and Naples High School. When the 2010/11 year zone change took place, students were placed in Golden Gate from Naples High and Lely High to keep the student populations equal.
Demographics
Lely is 39.56% Hispanic, 35.85% White, 21.5% Black, 0.55% Asian.
Traditions and spirit
For homecoming week, Lely's students participate in multiple events. For all five days, students dress for the theme for the certain day On Friday each grade level is assigned a stairwell to decorate. The grade with the best decorated is announced the winner. Lely High School's longstanding rival is Naples High School. Every year Lely has an extended pep rally the Friday of the football game. The football game is named The Coconut Bowl. Naples and Lely have played the Coconut Bowl since Lely opened. Naples has won the Coconut Bowl every time from 1999-2005. Their winning streak ended when Lely won in 2005. However, Naples has won every game since 2009. The Trojan Marching Band performs at the half time of the game.
Lely JROTC
Lely's JROTC follows a strict code of conduct. In 2011 the JROTC has given out more than $1,000,000 in scholarships. The JROTC participates in many events all around Naples and Marco Island. The cadets volunteer to help out at schools, parks and other public places. There are four teams for cadets. There is Drill Team, Exhibition, Color Guard, and Raiders. The Drill team Has a Drill Competition in March. Raiders also have a Raider competition. In the summer a handful of cadets get accepted to go to Summer camp with other schools in the area.
The following are ensembles that Lely High School currently offers to its students for participation: Trojan Marching Band, Jazz Band, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Guard/Flagline, and Orchestra. In the spring of 2015, the LHS Symphonic Band received an overall rating of SUPERIOR at the District 18 concert band festival. This was the first time the group had received such a rating since 2004. In the fall of 2015, The Lely Trojan Marching Band received straight superior ratings and in the spring of 2016, both the concert band and symphonic band received straight superior ratings for the concert MPA. Mr. Lederian Townsend has served as the head of the music department and band director since Fall 2013. He is a 2011 graduate of Florida State University's College of Music. In 2017, Mr. Jason Jones became the head of the music department at Lely High School.
