In 2008 Fort Myers High School awarded the most I.B. Diplomas in North America and the 3rd most in the world. In 2009, the 5th most I.B. Diplomas in Florida, 9th most in the United States and 24th most in the world. In 2010, the 6th most I.B. Diplomas in Florida and 8th most in the United States and in 2011, the 5th most I.B. Diplomas in Florida and 6th most in the United States.Fort Myers High School has been named one of Newsweek's Top 100 High Schools on several occasions: 1998 (49), 2000 (74), 2003 (32), 2005 (63), 2006 (76), 2007 (67), 2009 (97), and 2010 (71). Most recently in 2011 the rank was (164). U.S. News and World Report named Fort Myers High School a Silver Medal school and rated its I.B. program the 5th best in the nation in 2009. In 2011, the Washington Post ranked Fort Myers High School #90 in their inaugural Top American High Schools Challenge Index.Not only does Fort Myers High School excel in the classroom but on the playing fields as well. An adage at Fort Myers High School is "work hard, play hard." The FHSAA awards points to a school based on its finish in FHSAA series competition in each sport in the classification in which it has been assigned to compete. The top 16 teams are scored.This competition is called the Floyd E. Lay Sunshine Cup with the winning school receiving a trophy. Since its inception for the 1999-2000 school year, Fort Myers has finished in the "top ten" in its class 7 times: 2000 (5th in 5A), 2001 (10th in 6A), 2002 (2nd in 5A), 2004 (4th in 5A), 2005 (7th in 5A), 2006 (8th in 5A), 2007 (6th in 5A) and in 2010 (3rd in 4A). In 2002 and 2010 Fort Myers was the top public school in its classification. The Green Wave also managed success in three other seasons as well finishing 13th in 5A in 2008, 35th in 5A in 2009, and 11th in 4A in 2011.