- December 13, 2025
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When Greenbrook resident Jaime Marco typed her address into the school search tool on the School District of Manatee County website, she found that if the current rezoning maps are approved, her zoned high school will be Lakewood Ranch High School.
That would be instead of the yet-to-be-built and unnamed High School AAA that is being built at Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard. This sparked some confusion for Marco, as she is 3 miles away from Lakewood Ranch High and only 1.2 miles from where the new school will be located.
“The shortest distance to school helps students learn better, helps them have more time at home with family, and it's safer — all of those things,” Marco said.
Besides unhappiness with the distance from the newly assigned schools, Marco has heard parents express concern about their children being split up from the friends they developed in elementary school and middle school once they are assigned a high school. She isn't worried about that possibility.
“In the real world, you don't need to be with the same people all the time,” Marco said. “It's actually healthier for you to meet new people and have new experiences.”
The school district website was updated with its latest rezoning maps Nov. 3. A school district representative said it is still open to feedback with the possibility of more changes before the final approval.
The next round of public meetings to give parents an opportunity to voice opinions and concerns will be held from 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 17 at Braden River High School, 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 19 at Lakewood Ranch High and 6:30-9 p.m. Nov. 20 at Parrish Community High.
The district is working under its Policy 5120.02, Rezoning of Designated Residential Attendance Zones, which was updated in October. It notes that the school board might consider revisions to the policy due to construction of new schools and or adding on to existing schools, or closing a school, in order to adapt.
In that policy, there are three exemptions for students to remain at their current school through the rezoning process. If a student is entering their final year at that school, they can choose to stay and not move to the newly assigned school.
If a student in their final year at the current school has siblings currently at that school, they can choose to remain through that final year until the older sibling graduates.
The third exemption states that no current elementary student who has been rezoned during their time at that school will be required to be rezoned again.
In all three of those exemptions, the district does not provide those students with transportation to and from school.
The district also has added two new provisions — the Legacy Provision and the Founders Provision — to the policy.
“We know this can be a very emotional, disruptive process,” said Derek Jensen, deputy superintendent of instructional services. “Our students love their schools, and our families have all kinds of reasons for choosing the schools they choose for their families. In an effort to help kind of mitigate some of those factors as part of this process, we have this.”
The Legacy Provision is designed to offer students the opportunity to remain at their current school until the highest grade but they have to find their own transportation.
Heritage Harbour resident Adam Samblis has a son, Connor, who is currently zoned for and attends Parrish Community High School. With the new map, his new zone would be Braden River High School. Adam Samblis was happy to hear about the new provisions and said they are “absolutely necessary,” not only for his son who wishes to stay at his school, but all of the students who want to do the same.
“It's devastating to uproot a kid and just put them somewhere else, but I understand that we've got a lot of kids and we're overcrowded,” Samblis said. “I get they have to make the change and it does sound like with those other provisions, they're trying to accommodate for that. They're smart enough to understand and they've listened to what a lot of parents think.”
The rezoning process will be implemented in the 2026-2027 school year for all elementary, middle and K-8 schools. New high school residential zones will not take effect until the 2027-2028 school year.
The Founders Provision is designed to allow high school students an opportunity to start at their newly zoned school in the 2026-2027 school year instead of one year later. Like the other exemptions, the district does not provide transportation for students.
Brian Kirchberg, a government teacher at Braden River High School, said he sees the rezoning process as something that simply needs to be done, just like taking medicine.
“It's a pain in the butt because change is always difficult, but I don't see any way around it, especially with all these new schools that are being built,” Kirchberg said. “You have to zone for them one way or the other. It's something new, but in the end, hopefully it'll be positive for all the kids who are affected.”
Where Kirchberg lives, his upcoming freshman daughter is currently zoned for Parrish but it would change to Lakewood Ranch High. Since he works at Braden River, his daughter will attend there through school choice.
Marco said it is incredible to see the amount of work and community involvement the school district is putting into the rezoning process.
“I will say that it's impressive to see what they are doing to get this right,” Marco said. If parents are not happy about it, all they have to do is literally show up and talk about it and share their thoughts. They want the voices of the teachers, of the families, of the students, and they welcome that. Don't complain about something unless you're willing to come forward, and talk about it. Now is the time to do that.”
