Two schools totaling 1,105 seats will open Monday, August 10, on Fruitville Road in Sarasota County, giving east-county families new options just minutes from Lakewood Ranch.
Sarasota Classical Preparatory Academy, a tuition-free K-8 charter school, will serve 900 students. Prodigy Early Learning at Sarasota, a preschool on the same parcel, will serve 205. Both are managed by Charter Schools USA, the same education company that operates Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy on White Eagle Boulevard, College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park and Manatee Charter School.
Construction finished on schedule.
The Business Observer reported Tuesday, July 28, that Ryan Companies and Fort Lauderdale-based Red Apple Development completed the project on an 11-acre site at 8743 and 8763 Fruitville Road. Red Apple purchased the land from Faith Baptist Church for $3.5 million in 2025.
What families will find
Sarasota Classical Preparatory Academy spans 45,623 square feet. Its campus includes a multipurpose athletic field and a small amphitheater that will double as an outdoor classroom, according to a Ryan Companies press release.
Prodigy Early Learning at Sarasota occupies 12,814 square feet on the same parcel, giving families with children at both schools a single drop-off location.
The developers
Red Apple Development is among the nation's largest charter school developers, having built 75 facilities totaling nearly 5 million square feet. Ryan Companies and Red Apple have collaborated on more than 60 school projects across the Southeast.
"We know that when we need a school to be student-ready by the first day of school, Ryan will deliver on time every time," Scott Woodrey, president of Red Apple Development, said in the announcement.
CSUSA's growing footprint
CSUSA's presence in Manatee and Sarasota counties now includes at least four schools within a short drive of Lakewood Ranch: Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy (grades K-12, 5570 White Eagle Blvd.), College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park, Manatee Charter School and the new Sarasota Classical campus. Ryan Companies described Sarasota County as "a successful region for CSUSA" in its press release.
The company also announced it is breaking ground on five additional CSUSA-related school projects in 2026 across Florida, Louisiana and South Carolina.
Families interested in the K-8 charter or the preschool can visit the CSUSA website for registration information ahead of the August 10 opening.
