St. Stephen's announces East County expansion

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School announced Tuesday morning it’s gaining a foothold in East County by opening a kindergarten/first-grade school in Lakewood Ranch for the 2015-16 academic school year.

The west Bradenton-based school will be based on the campus of Harvest United Methodist Church, located just off Lorraine Road at 14305 Covenant Way, Bradenton.

Citing a surge in its west Bradenton campus enrollment from Lakewood Ranch-based students, St. Stephen’s Head of School Dr. Jan Pullen said the move is the next logical step for a private, faith-based campus that currently has more than 675 students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

“We have seen a surge in students from Lakewood Ranch over the past two years and have been looking at expanding our academic offerings over the last several years, especially for the kindergarten and first-grade students,” said Pullen, in a news release. "Lakewood Ranch is the perfect fit. St. Stephen’s currently has multiple bus stops throughout Lakewood Ranch, but now we will also have a permanent presence in the Lakewood Ranch community.”

The new campus, which is expected to grow, is called St. Stephen’s East Campus K/1 School.

Harvest United Methodist Church the Rev. Catherine Fluck Price, co-pastor at Harvest, called the new campus a great addition that pairs well with Harvest’s Sprouts Child Development Center.

“Our son attends St. Stephen’s, so we have experienced first hand what a wonderful, caring community it is,” Fluck Price said. “We think St. Stephen’s is going to be a great addition to the Lakewood Ranch community."

For more information, pick up a copy of this week's East County Observer. 

Contact Kurt Schultheis at [email protected].