Sarasota County Schools

The ribbon is cut and the future is bright at Skye Ranch School! ✂️🎉

We are SO excited to celebrate the opening of Skye Ranch School! The state-of-the-art K-8 facility will open its doors to students this August and serve as both a hub for learning and a vital community resource for years to come.

With adaptable learning spaces, enhanced safety features, and a STEAM-focused curriculum, Skye Ranch School is designed to empower students to explore science, technology, engineering, the arts, agriculture, and mathematics.

Superintendent Terry Connor, School Board Chair Tim Enos, Commissioner Teresa Mast, Principal Jaime Hannon, and many others shared their excitement and gratitude as we marked this incredible milestone together.

Special thanks to Tandem Construction and Harvard Jolly Architecture for helping bring this vision to life. We can’t wait to welcome the Skye Ranch Storm this fall! ⚡📚

We are pleased to announce that Dr. Lashawn Frost – the current Principal of Booker Middle School – has been selected as the new Executive Director of Student Services.

🎉 BIG NEWS! Sarasota County Schools has once again earned an overall "A" rating from the Florida Department of Education — marking 22 consecutive years of top performance! 💪🍎 This year, the district also improved by 9 points in the state's overall accountability system, highlighting our continued focus on student growth, instructional quality, and system-wide success. Even more to celebrate: ✅ 95% of district-managed schools earned "A" or "B" grades for the second year in a row 🏫 Several schools major gains, including: • Sarasota High: B ➡️ A • Englewood Elementary: B ➡️ A • Booker High: C ➡️ B • Booker Middle: C ➡️ B • College Preparatory Academy at Wellen Park (Charter): B ➡️ A • Imagine School at North Port (Charter): B ➡️ A • Sarasota Academy of the Arts (Charter): C ➡️ A These results reflect the dedication of our students, teachers, leaders, and community. Thank you for helping us continue to raise the bar! 👏

Special MONSTER JAM OFFER for SCS families, staff, and friends! 🎉 Enjoy 20% off Monster Jam tickets for the August 15 & 16 shows at Amalie Arena. Don’t miss this action-packed event featuring your favorite trucks and stunts! 🚛💨 Grab your discounted tickets here: https://www.gofevo.com/group/TicketOffers-SarasotaCounty

For the 2025-2026 school year, SCS will undergo the 9-12 Financial Literacy and Money Management (FLMM) Textbook Adoption process. If you are a parent or guardian interested in serving on the Committee, please visit https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/o/scs/page/9-12-flmm-textbook-adoption.

For the 2025-2026 school year, SCS will undergo the K-12 ELA Textbook Adoption process. If you are a parent or guardian interested in serving on the Committee, please visit https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/o/scs/page/k-12-ela-textbook-adoption.

Sarasota and Manatee STEM/Research teachers dove into a 4-day Advancing STEM Research Teaching (ASRT) workshop this summer. Teachers were able to collaborate and form new connections, leaving with curriculum and resources to support students. 🙌 Kudos to these dedicated educators and Michael Blueglass (veteran STEM educator and ASRT director) for leading the way. A big thank you to Mote Marine Aquarium and the Ed Foundation for making this event such a success.

The school year may be over, but there’s still plenty to celebrate in this summer edition of In Touch! Inside this issue: a spotlight on SCS’ summer learning programs, a message from Superintendent Connor, key legislative updates, and the announcement of the new principal for Wellen Park High School. We’re also featuring Brentwood, Suncoast Polytechnical, and Toledo Blade Elementary, highlighting free summer meals, and wrapping up the year with a special shoutout to the Class of 2025. https://bit.ly/InTouchJune2025

Mr. Trenton Terry – currently an Assistant Principal at Woodland Middle School – has been selected as the new Principal of Woodland Middle School. He will assume his new role effective Tuesday, July 1. Congratulations, Mr. Terry!! Learn more: https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/article/2247883

Mr. Eric Idoyaga – currently an Assistant Principal at Heron Creek Middle School – has been selected as the new Principal of Englewood Elementary. He will assume his new role effective Tuesday, July 1. Congratulations, Mr. Idoyaga!! Learn more: https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/article/2247880

Mrs. Lindsay Gallof – the current Assistant Principal of Curriculum at Sarasota High School – has been selected as the new Principal of @brooksidemiddle. She will assume her new role effective Tuesday, July 1. Congratulations, Mrs. Gallof! Learn more: https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/article/2247879

ELEMENTARY REPORT CARDS: Fourth-Quarter report cards are now available on the Focus Parent Portal for ELEMENTARY students. 💻 https://scs.focusschoolsoftware.com (sorry for any confusion - summer brain 😋)

The Booker High School Class of 2025 is signing off in style! From making history on the football field to finding purpose in the arts, this group of Tornadoes reflects on the wins, the lessons, and the journey that brought them here. Their advice? Be yourself, stay focused, and soak in the moments. 💜🎓  https://youtube.com/shorts/CwNtDOS41k8 #Classof2025

As we wrap up the 2024-2025 school year, we are celebrating the remarkable milestones made possible by the resilience, creativity, and heart of our students, staff, and community. From national accolades and new facilities to championship teams and learning gains, thank you for being part of our shared success. With every milestone, we exemplify our mission for every student, every day. https://youtu.be/vc3iFXLMcG8

We're closing out the school year by recognizing two outstanding first-year Library Technicians in our New Library Technician Spotlight! 📚✨ 🌟 Ms. Kayleigh Carver, Lakeview Elementary School Ms. Kayleigh Carver hit the ground running this year, bringing her classroom experience and a passion for innovation into the media center. She kicked off the year with a full shelf-read during the T Barcode project to better understand her collection. Since then, Ms. Carver has launched engaging programs like “Kid Librarian,” “Reading Buddies,” and other interactive, gamified experiences that are getting students excited about reading. 🌟 Ms. Danielle Domke, Englewood Elementary Ms. Danielle Domke has transformed her school’s media center into a bright, welcoming space. She reorganized furniture and shelving to improve flow and collaborated with the PTO and a local women’s club to earn grants that brought in hundreds of new books. Ms. Domke supports students daily during their specials and even opens the library before school for check-outs and returns. As one third grader put it, “Mrs. Domke is very nice and kind, reads us really great books, gives us lots of choices, and ordered new books when we asked for different genres!” Thank you, Ms. Carver and Ms. Domke, for making such a difference in your first year. We can’t wait to see what’s ahead! 💚📖

🍎 NEW EPISODE! This time on SCS In Tune, we're diving into free summer meals for students and families across Sarasota County ☀️ Join Sara Dan (SCS Food & Nutrition), Nina Harrelson (All Faiths Food Bank), and Dawn Page (Boys & Girls Club) as they share how their organizations are working together to support local families when school is out. Learn about important dates, meal site details, and where to find more info. 🎧 Tune in: https://youtu.be/XemiIdZHxKY

All schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, May 26th for Memorial Day. 💖🤍💙 View the full calendar at www.sarasotacountyschools.net/calendar

Congrats to the North Port High School Class of 2025! From sports and clubs to the classroom, each of you has left a lasting mark on NPHS. Whether you’re off to college, joining the military, or chasing your dreams, the future is yours. 🐾💙 https://youtube.com/shorts/1tRTNA-28BE #Classof2025 #SarasotaSchools

May is Military Appreciation Month. We honor and thank the brave service members, veterans, and military families who are part of our school communities. 💖🤍💙 Your strength, sacrifice, and commitment do not go unnoticed.

Mr. Mark Grossenbacher – the current Principal of Woodland Middle School – has been selected as the first-ever Principal of Wellen Park High School! This will be effective on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, and Wellen Park High School will open its doors to students for the 2026-2027 school year. Congratulations, Mr. Grossenbacher!