Lakewood Ranch — your local wire.
Lakewood Ranch — your local wire.
Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Latest reporting from the Education desk.
Education
The Manatee County School Board approved a three-year strategic plan on Aug. 25 that shifts the district from building new schools to strengthening academics, retaining teachers and improving existing campuses, after Lakewood Ranch High posted a district-leading 97% graduation rate.
Education
The Manatee County School Board approved a three-year strategic plan on Aug. 25 that shifts the district from building new schools to strengthening academics, retaining teachers and improving existing campuses, after Lakewood Ranch High posted a district-leading 97% graduation rate.
The Manatee County School Board approved a three-year strategic plan on Aug. 25 that shifts the district from building new schools to strengthening academics, retaining teachers and improving existing campuses, after Lakewood Ranch High posted a district-leading 97% graduation rate.
Education
Lakewood Ranch High School replaced clipboard bathroom passes with a FOCUS computer-based electronic system for the 2026-27 school year, giving administrators real-time tracking of student movement across a campus of roughly 2,370 students.
Education
A free homeschool community fair called Find Your Village will bring more than 25 vendors, food trucks and children's activities to Bethel Church in Bradenton on Aug. 29, offering Lakewood Ranch-area families a one-stop resource as the new school year begins.
Education
A $2 million gift from Venice resident Dr. William H. Jervey Jr. will name the State College of Florida Collegiate School buildings in Bradenton and Venice, supporting the tuition-free charter program where area high schoolers earn college credit and associate degrees.
Education
Sarasota County Schools trained 213 teachers in Everglades environmental literacy during 2025-26 and recognized 12 elementary schools as Champion Schools, while Cranberry Elementary's Laurie Kemble presented her curriculum work at a statewide symposium in July.
Education
Lakewood Ranch High School teacher Ben Hall and senior Keaven Zheng are among the first to endorse Model Manatee, a new multi-week civics program that lets Manatee County high schoolers attend commission meetings, shadow officials and conduct a mock government session, with applications due Aug. 21.
Education
Sarasota Christian School cut the ribbon on a new 13-classroom high school building on Aug. 6, the first phase of a 43,000-square-foot master plan, as enrollment reaches a record 836 students ahead of the Aug. 10 first day of school.
Education
Manatee County secondary lunch rises 15 cents and elementary lunch 25 cents starting Monday, Aug. 10, while Sarasota County high school lunch jumps to $4.15 with a second hike to $4.40 in January 2027; Lakewood Ranch High families must apply separately for free or reduced-price benefits.
Education
Four visiting educators from Spain have arrived at Daughtrey, Prine, and Palmetto elementary schools to teach in the School District of Manatee County's Dual Language Program, which enters its second year of the international exchange ahead of the Aug. 10 first day of school.
Education
Ms. Gilbert and Ms. Hartwig, both former FFA members at Lakewood Ranch High School, are beginning their first-year teaching careers as agriculture educators at Buffalo Creek Middle School just four years after graduating.
Education
Manatee County's new Model Manatee civics program will seat area high schoolers in real commission and school board meetings this fall; applications open Monday, Aug. 10 and close Friday, Aug. 21.
Education
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Sun Coast announced that Sarasota County Schools will adopt a Harvard-developed stress resilience curriculum for the 2026-27 school year after the nonprofit piloted the program at five local sites.
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©2026 Lakewood Ranch Beacon
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©2026 Lakewood Ranch Beacon
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