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East County | Schools

Alex Benson says the current mural is much more detailed and will take more time than previous projects. His goal is to have it complete over the summer, ready for the 2025-2026 school year.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 29, 2025
Local mural artist volunteers his talent to beautify McNeal Elementary

Alex Benson has painted three murals at the Lakewood Ranch school.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Vicente Rivera, a senior at Lakewood Ranch High School, has been accepted into the United States Naval Academy in Maryland, which has a 9% acceptance rate.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 26, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High senior ready to begin career at US Naval Academy

Vicente Rivera says he loves structure so a military academy is a great fit.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River Middle School students got to visit the Supreme Court and learned more about Gideon v. Wainwright, a 1963 landmark Supreme Court case that they learned in class.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 23, 2025
Braden River Middle students experience real-life civics lesson

The students took a road trip to Tallahassee to visit the Florida State Capitol.

  • East County
  • Schools
Lara Zoppe plays Eurydice in "Hadestown: Teen Edition" alongside Sawyer Girgis, who plays Orpheus at the Ovation School of Musical Theatre. Zoppe is 14 years old and has been a student at Ovation since she was 3.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 22, 2025
Young actors love the challenge of 'Hadestown: Teen Edition'

It was a different kind of challenge for the Ovation School of Musical Theatre students.

  • East County
  • Schools
Webb Brue, Griffin Wills, Sullivan Pippins, Parker Royce and Nolan Appel are in Tammy Peters' first grade class. They learned all about bees and informed the public on ways to save them.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 20, 2025
Braden River Elementary showcases project-based learning at Innovation Expo

The first graders developed a love for bees and planted flowers to attract them.

  • East County
  • Schools
Ricardo Robinson-Shinall has worked in the Braden River High School theater department since 2016.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 19, 2025
'Hadestown' will be Braden River High theater director's final show

Ricardo Robinson-Shinall is leaving Braden River High after 15 years.

  • East County
  • Schools
Fifth grader Avianna Owens said that Mr. Ray helped her when she didn't understand ranges and means.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 13, 2025
Tara's Ray of Sunshine has brightened the lives of students for two decades

Raymond Turner, a volunteer tutor at Tara Elementary School, has been offering his math skills and advice since 2004.

  • East County
  • Schools
Samantha Casanueva, Parker Poplaski, Matthew Jackson and Trenton Horne of Blue Lightning with their robots and awards.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 9, 2025
Three East County schools headed to Vex Robotics World Championship

Gilbert W McNeal Elementary School, Virgil Mills Elementary School, Carlos E. Haile Middle School and Dr. Mona Jain Middle School are going to compete in Dallas, Texas.

  • East County
  • Schools
Chaitanya Kurakula, Riley Harris and Sriya Boggavarapu with their Alice in Wonderland themed animatronics project that they are fixing and altering for nationals.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 2, 2025
Braden River High TSA president leads team to a state championship

Sheena Kurakula now finishes her TSA career with a trip to the nationals with her teammates.

  • East County
  • Schools
Ethan Hacker, Braden River Middle School band director since February 2024.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 2, 2025
New Braden River Middle teacher takes concert band to superior ratings

Ethan Hacker has his band finely tuned only a year after he took over the program.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River High junior Aaron Gordon won a two-year scholarship for his winning entry in a Black History Month essay contest.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • March 25, 2025
Braden River High junior wins Black History Month essay contest

Aaron Gordon, who loves music, picked Ray Charles as his subject for the essay.

  • East County
  • Schools
Teachers and student winners of the fifth grade essay content pose for a photo Feb. 25 at Robert Willis Elementary School in Lakewood Ranch. The contest was held by the Manatee County Retired Educators Association.
    By
  • Jim DeLa
  • March 5, 2025
Willis Elementary students recall grandparents' love in essay contest

Willis Elementary gets top two spots in Manatee County Retried Educators' Association contest.

  • East County
  • Schools
Mike and Katie Emmons founded the Taylor Emmons Scholarship fund in 2010.
    By
  • Eric Snider
  • February 21, 2025
Taylor Emmons' legacy lives on through Out-of-Door Academy scholarship

Grieving parents turned their son’s tragic death into a sustainable charitable endeavor that has paid for more than a dozen teenagers to attend a private high school.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Theresa Pelayo celebrates crossing the finish line alongside her daughter, Luna Pelayo, on Saturday morning at the Taste of ODA 5K.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • February 9, 2025
Out-of-Door Academy's first 5K raises funds for its athletics program

ODA's first-year goal was easily met as 143 runners participated.

  • East County
  • Schools
Stacy Freeman said she felt as though she was living in a dream when she heard her name announced as the Manatee County Educator of the Year on Feb. 5 at Manatee Technical College.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • February 9, 2025
McNeal teacher wins Manatee County Educator of the Year award

Stacy Freeman impact goes far beyond the third grade classroom at Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary.

  • East County
  • Schools
Addison Shea is one of 40 finalists for the Science Talent Search finals in Washington, D.C., in March.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • February 4, 2025
Lakewood Ranch student advances to finals of nation's top science contest

Addison Shea has been named a top 40 finalist in the Regeneron Science Talent Search.

  • East County
  • Schools
Maureen Geary reads "Fractured Fairytales" and asked questions to Myakka City Elementary students and their family members who attended Literacy Night on Jan. 30.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • February 3, 2025
Myakka City Elementary adapts to the times in literacy battle

Literacy Night is one of several efforts teachers use to get actual books in their students' hands.

  • East County
  • Schools
Nicholas Haas, the Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch Teacher of the Year, is a longtime guitarist who has parlayed his passion for music into a career in teaching.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 30, 2025
Imagine School at Lakewood Ranch honors its Teacher of the Year

Nicholas Haas adapts to the times to keep students excited.

  • East County
  • Schools
Ava Horne, a Lakewood Ranch High School graduate, dances her way across the field.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 29, 2025
East County high schools finish above state average in graduation rate

Braden River, Lakewood Ranch and Parrish high schools excel through individual attention and identifying at-risk students.

  • East County
  • Schools
Students at William H. Bashaw Elementary School planted a new garden last week with the help from Supervisor of Student Nutrition Skye Grundy (left), EBD self-contain teacher Ms. Bratton, EarthBox representative Will Carlton and Principal James Dougherty.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 22, 2025
Bashaw Elementary plants garden to further campus improvement project

The school garden will be used for cooking, math, science lessons — and lunch.

  • East County
  • Schools
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy eighth grader Wrenn Pevzner tested people to see whether they could distinguish the difference between a real photo and one that was generated by artificial intelligence for her science fair project.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 19, 2025
Lakewood Ranch Prep students explore science of the modern world

Projects on AI, Wi-Fi and cellphone radiation show how far science fairs have come.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River Middle Principal Kimberlain Zenon, Reading Coach Tasheta Riley and Assistant Principal Tamara Cornwell have directed their efforts toward motivating students to get back on track for grade-level standards.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 15, 2025
Braden River Middle gets creative to keep students on track

Motivational programs have put Braden River Middle on the cusp of an "A" school status.

  • East County
  • Schools
SafeHaven AI helps people aged 65+ better understand their fall risks and how to manage them using doctor-approved questions and image recognition of potential hazards.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 8, 2025
Out-of-Door Academy student wins Congressional App Challenge

Manav Pulluru's app, SafeHaven AI, helps the elderly avoid falls

  • East County
  • Schools
Lakewood Ranch High student Yulia Morales hosted her first-ever 'Science Stars' lesson on Friday, Jan. 3 at the Lakewood Ranch Library.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 8, 2025
Lakewood Ranch High student creates 'Science Stars' to inspire tweens

Yulia Morales hopes to show kids how science can be fun with monthly experiments.

  • East County
  • Schools
With the elementary portion of Lake Manatee K-8, right, opening in August 2025, and the middle school portion, being constructed on the left, opening in August 2026, the School District of Manatee County needs to redistrict in 2025.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • January 2, 2025
Redistricting among issues Manatee schools will face in 2025

With five new schools opening by 2027, the School Board of Manatee County will have to approve new school zones.

  • East County
  • Schools
McNeal Elementary third-grade teacher Stacy Freeman is one of four finalists for the 2025 School District of Manatee County Educator of the Year award.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • January 1, 2025
McNeal Elementary teacher named a finalist for Educator of the Year

Through her 18 years of teaching, Stacy Freeman's work goes beyond the classroom

  • East County
  • Schools
Rachel Walmsley lines up a shot during shooting practice at Braden River High School on Thursday, Dec. 12.
    By
  • Vinnie Portell
  • December 27, 2024
Braden River senior helps JROTC team have a shot at air rifle tournament

Rachel Walmsley is floating on air after winning her region's air rifle match.

  • East County
  • Schools
Michelle Sanchez, a paraprofessional at William H. Bashaw Elementary School, is able to spend more time with her son Tiago Sanchez now that she works at his school.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • December 10, 2024
Manatee finds success recruiting from within school communities

Parents have been inspired to become paraprofessionals, teachers and administrators.

  • East County
  • Schools
Dr. Mona Jain Middle School's new agriculture program gives seventh grader Jaiden Morgan and eighth grader Cooper Burke an opportunity to work hands on with plants.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • December 10, 2024
Dr. Mona Jain Middle School starts FFA program

Students begin to work with plants and rabbits and will start with chickens next semester.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River High School JROTC cadets volunteer for Manatee County Habitat for Humanity. They work on refurbishing a home with hopes of the new owners being able to move in by Christmas.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • December 3, 2024
Braden River High JROTC cadets volunteer for Habitat for Humanity

Cadets help refurbish a home for new owners as a service project.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River Middle School Principal Kimberlain Zenon has been named the School District of Manatee County's Principal of the Year.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • December 2, 2024
Braden River Middle principal named Manatee's Principal of the Year

Kimberlain Zenon grew with Braden River Middle, going from parent to teacher to principal.

  • East County
  • Schools
Tom Brugos, the STEM teacher, never thought when he started at Gene Witt Elementary School in 1994 that he would have 3D printers, robots and drones.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • December 1, 2024
Gene Witt Elementary School celebrates its 30th anniversary

Founding teachers say the family atmosphere and values of the school stay strong 30 years after it was built.

  • East County
  • Schools
Kindergartners Mila Park and Eliana Fitzmorris give it their all in every song.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 22, 2024
McNeal Elementary hosts annual kindergarten Thanksgiving program

Kindergartners sing and gobble the night away.

  • East County
  • Schools
Fifth grader Grayson Hermann pushes the basketball, meant to represent a pumpkin, through the cones to the hay and back as fast as he can.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 21, 2024
Lakewood Ranch's Willis Elementary hosts fall field day

Field day activities put students into the competitive spirit.

  • East County
  • Schools
School Board of Manatee County members Richard Tatem, Chad Choate, Charlie Kennedy, Cindy Spray and Heather Felton are ready to serve the School District of Manatee County.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 20, 2024
New Manatee County School Board members primed for the post

Board members say they are focused on learning more about each other while prioritizing areas such as early literacy.

  • East County
  • Schools
Braden River High School's Kirsten Soler and Quinn McGettigan kiss the trophy. The Marching Band of Pirates earned its first state championship title in five years.
    By
  • Liz Ramos
  • November 19, 2024
Braden River High marching band claims state 2A title

The Marching Band of Pirates win first place, and Parrish Community High's Pride of Parrish Marching Band placed fourth in the same division.

  • East County
  • Schools
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Latest in East County

1
Manatee County commissioners unanimously approve the purchase of 9000 Town Center Parkway May 6.
  • April 1, 2026
DOGE questions Manatee County's capital expenditures, additional staff
2
John Saputo (left), Denise Saputo (top center), Lorraine Vitale (right) and Dick Vitale (bottom center) at the "March Mayhem" fundraiser and Elite Eight watch party. The Saputos were the hosts March 28 at Gold Coast Eagle Distributing.
  • April 1, 2026
March Mayhem fundraiser in Lakewood Ranch benefits pediatric cancer research
3
Lakewood Ranch Little League plays at Lakewood Ranch Park March 25.
  • April 1, 2026
Lakewood Ranch Little League expands to improve accessibility
4
Gabriella Martinez Reyes, a junior at Lakewood Ranch High School, has been named president of the Florida Future Business Leaders of America. This makes her the first of Manatee County.
  • March 31, 2026
LRHS junior named president for Florida's Future Business Leaders of America
5
Late Commissioner Carol Ann Felts will be honored April 18 at Crane Park.
  • March 31, 2026
Manatee County names Myakka preserve after late commissioner Carol Felts

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