Rangeland High School, the $144 million campus under construction in Lakewood Ranch, remains on track to open in August 2027, the School Board of Manatee County heard at a Sept. 1 workshop in Bradenton.

The school will welcome about 1,070 ninth and 10th graders that first year. Eleventh graders follow in August 2028, with 12th grade added in August 2029.

The workshop also covered Bayshore High School renovations and a presentation on the district's 2027 state legislative priorities from Sunrise Consulting Group.

Rangeland Rising on 85 Acres, Contract Now Tops $151.8 Million

The School Board voted unanimously on April 28 to name the school Rangeland High School after 1,663 names were suggested in a community survey, according to a district announcement.

Construction on the nearly 300,000-square-foot campus at Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard started in January 2026, according to a Business Observer report from July. The school follows the same prototype as Parrish Community High School. An expansion plan for a second classroom wing could eventually bring capacity to about 2,500 students.

The board approved a $20.1 million guaranteed-maximum-price amendment with general contractor Gilbane Building Company in May, according to board meeting records. That brought the total contract above $151.8 million, up from the roughly $131.7 million original agreement approved in December 2025.

Reginald L. Goff Sr., the district's director of construction services, told the Business Observer in July that the district holds contractors to milestone-based payments. "Summer is the time where we have the most opportunities," Goff said. "The students are not on campus, and we want to take advantage of the ability to do what we need to do as quickly as we possibly can."

Bayshore High School Work Spans Several Separate Projects

Bayshore High School's update covered a broader set of renovations. The board approved a $174,503 pre-construction agreement with Reno Building LLC for exterior column repairs in May. In June, the board authorized requests for qualifications for both an HVAC renovation and a Career Technology Education addition. A separate request for construction management services for a CTE building and campus-wide renovations was approved in December 2025.

Consultants Preview 2027 Legislative Priorities, Including Mandatory Kindergarten

Sunrise Consulting Group presented the district's 2027 legislative priorities. The board also discussed priorities from the Greater Florida Consortium and the Florida School Board Association, or FSBA.

Among the FSBA recommendations: requiring kindergarten for all students before entering first grade, according to a WMNF preview of the workshop. The board also discussed new and amended policies, including a District Active Assailant Response Plan, or DAARP, and protections for children and youth in foster care.

Board to Vote on $1.67 Billion Budget Sept. 8

The board's next scheduled meeting is a budget hearing on Sept. 8. As we reported Sept. 2, the board is set to vote on a $1.67 billion budget.