Oak Park School cuts the ribbon on new athletic track

The school for students with disabilities received the track through a partnership between the school district and Sarasota County.

By Ian Swaby
| 5:00 a.m. April 17, 2025

Staff members Cesar Huertas, Fredy Sepulveda Ramos, and Johan Guerrero gather with 12th grader Nicolo Moschini on the track.

Sarasota
Schools

After cutting the ribbon, it didn't take long for students at Oak Park School to fully circle the new athletic track during the school's first event, the Panther Prowl.

"It feels amazing," said Grace Barcelo, a student in the school's structured work program, of seeing the project finally complete.

The new multipurpose, lighted track and field joins the athletic facilities at Oak Park School, which provides educational and therapeutic services to over 300 students with disabilities.

Principal Sean Donovan said nine months ago, the space had simply been an open field with a "very decrepit" softball diamond and ant hills.

However, Sarasota County Schools and Sarasota County Parks entered an interlocal agreement to collaborate on the funding, design, building, and maintenance of the project, which began design in 2023.

The project includes a six-lane, 400-meter rubberized track with one eight-lane straightaway. It also includes a high school-size soccer field with synthetic turf, sideline water, electrical outlets, a soccer scoreboard, soccer poles and netting, new fencing and a new sidewalk.

The project cost $3,951,964, with the county contributing $500,000.

The use of the track will extend beyond school hours, and Donovan notes the plan is to host different walks and 5Ks, and planned to become the primary location for the Angelman Syndrome Foundation's annual walk on May 17.

He said the project will help guide the partnership between the school district and county, which also encompasses projects like the lighted soccer fields at Tatum Ridge Elementary School.

"As our community grows, and gets larger and larger, we're going to have more needs for more schools, so the hope is that we can kind of set the model and set the template for what this partnership between Sarasota County Parks and Sarasota County schools can really look like to make sure that not only the school benefits and the students benefit, but the entire community benefits as well," he said.

Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor, County Commissioner Joe Neunder, Jon Swift of Jon F. Swift Construction, School Board Member Robyn Marinelli, Jon. F. Swift Construction Vice President Justin Williams, and Principal Sean Donovan applaud the opening of the new track.

Oak Park School cut the ribbon on its track and field project.

Anthony Bowers, a second grader, races on the track.

Instructor Marcy Russell walks with 12th grader Jillian Humphreys.

12th graders Vinnie Smith and Alex Langham slap hands after circling the tracj.

Ingrid Rodriguez walks with her daughter Valentina Rodriguez, a second grader, on the track.

Superintendent of Schools Terry Connor runs with Sage Robinson of the Kindergarten to second grade classroom.

Iker Gomez-Jara of the Kindergarten to second grade classroom, instructor Lisbeth Zurita, and Jayden Cook walk together.

author

Ian Swaby

Ian Swaby is the Sarasota neighbors writer for the Observer. Ian is a Florida State University graduate of Editing, Writing, and Media and previously worked in the publishing industry in the Cayman Islands.