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Schools

Principal Kathy Price will be leaving Willis Elementary School after six years to become the executive director for the Manatee Education Foundation, which is a bittersweet transition for her.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 9, 2025
Willis Elementary principal leaving for new challenge

Price said Willis has become her home away from home, but she was in need of a change.

  • East County
  • Schools
Christian Link described being a bus driver as his unexpected dream job. He has worked there for three and a half years and has trained other drivers for two and a half.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 7, 2025
Manatee County aims to fill school bus driver shortage

Between sick days, vacations and leaves of absence, Manatee County needs more bus drivers to ensure students get to school efficiently.

  • East County
  • Schools
Brando Fetzek, vice president and project executive for NDC Construction Company and Jessica Roddenberry, the project manager from HKS Architects & Designers led the tour.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 6, 2025
Lake Manatee K-8 school is set to open for elementary students in August

HKS Architects and Designers along with NDC Construction Company are working to ensure they deliver phase one in time for the 2025-2026 school year.

  • East County
  • Schools
Benjamin Hansen plays Scar.
    By
  • Lesley Dwyer
  • May 3, 2025
'The Lion King Jr.' pounces onto the stage

Students at the Woodland Fine Arts Academy have been working on the production since August.

  • East County
  • Schools
Kenneth Ordonez and his elementary teacher Joadie Durfee got to reunite at the gathering. Ordonez described Durfee as not only a teacher, but a good friend.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 3, 2025
Past Braden River Elementary students gather before graduating high school

Seven years after graduating elementary school, Manatee County seniors reunited with old friends and teachers to reminisce before graduating high school and heading separate ways once more.

  • East County
  • Schools
John Hettler, principal and founder of SOSA said he is very grateful to the Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation for their generous donation towards the new playground equipment and necessary repairs. Executive director Kate Mulligan and president Mark Clark were amongst the members of the foundation present.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 2, 2025
Sea of Strengths Academy receives grant for new playground

The Lakewood Ranch Community Foundation presented them with a grant for $8,700 to go towards the playground after Kelly Gonzalez, a parent at the school, wrote approximately 30 different ones.

  • East County
  • Neighbors
Layla Vaughn and Aureliano Mora are student council members at McNeal Elementary that acted as announcers for the leadership day event.
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • May 1, 2025
McNeal Elementary nurtures student leaders through Leader In Me program

The seven habits are “Be Proactive,” “Begin with the End In Mind,” “Put First Things First,” “Think Win-Win,” “Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood,” “Synergize” and “Sharpen the Saw.”

  • East County
  • Schools
Former School District of Manatee County Superintendent Jason Wysong
    By
  • Madison Bierl
  • April 30, 2025
Manatee County teacher accused of inappropriate behavior resigns

A parent of a child at B.D. Gullett Elementary urged the school board to terminate the fifth grade teacher instead of accepting his resignation.

  • 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
Staff members Cesar Huertas, Fredy Sepulveda Ramos, and Johan Guerrero gather with 12th grader Nicolo Moschini on the track.
    By
  • Ian Swaby
  • April 17, 2025
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.

  • Sarasota
  • Schools
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Latest News

1
District 3's Jack May is a write-in candidate in the District 1 commission race.
  • August 11, 2026
Write-in candidates close two Manatee County Republican primaries
2
At the 2025 FHSAA Class 4A boys swimming state championship, then-junior Andrew Malaj earned silver in the 400-yard freestyle relay and bronze in the 200-yard freestyle as the Sailors won the team title. He recently competed for the Sarasota Tsunami at the USA Swimming Futures Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee.
  • August 11, 2026
Sarasota Athlete of the Week: Andrew Malaj
3
John Guerrasio and Laura Gardner star in "The Last Romance," which runs at Florida Stuudio Theatre through Aug. 16.
  • August 11, 2026
The best things to do this weekend in Sarasota, Lakewood Ranch, Longboat
4
Paxon Hermann placed sixth for pole vault at the 2026 FHSAA Class 1A track and field state championship in May. That was far from the only discipline he worked on this summer.
  • August 11, 2026
ODA student-athlete dives into decathlons
5
Gary Hagen, owner of Elegant Lady Cheesecake Parlor, died Aug. 3.
  • August 11, 2026
Owner of Hollywood-centric Elegant Lady Cheesecake Parlor dies

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