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School district wins approval for Rye Ranch Elementary site plan; commissioners say school aligns with planned growth
Summary
The county approved a 125,000‑square‑foot site plan for a new elementary school in Rye Ranch, designed for roughly 974 students. School and developer representatives said infrastructure and site plans are in place and the new school is intended to serve rapid residential growth in the area.
The Board approved a school site plan for the Manatee County School District’s proposed Rye Ranch Elementary School on Tuesday, advancing the project toward construction after staff and school officials confirmed code and interlocal‑agreement compliance.
Planner Katie LaBarr of Stantec presented the school site plan, describing a 125,000‑square‑foot two‑story classroom building with administrative space, a central energy plant, food‑service area, covered play, play fields and parking. The plan shows two access points to internal local roads in the Rye Ranch master plan: car‑drop access from the north and bus/staff access from the south. School district planner Mike Penley told the board the school is sized for about 974 students and that Rye Ranch has substantial approved but unbuilt dwelling units in the pipeline.
“The timing is excellent,” Penley said, describing recent school‑board workshops that showed enrollment growth in School Service Area 2—the area the new school will serve.
Commissioners asked about traffic, parking and whether the surrounding roads and infrastructure were in place. Developer and counsel representatives for the Waterbury/Neil communities noted the site sits within planned Lakewood Ranch infrastructure and a stewardship approach that includes community development districts and transportation capacity established with local development agreements.
Public comment included neighborhood concerns about how schools connect to local roads and the availability of teacher housing near the site; speakers also urged the district to consider housing for staff and said walkability and safe drop‑off design remain priorities.
The motion to approve the school site plan passed 6–0 (one commissioner absent), with commissioners asking staff to continue permitting steps and to coordinate traffic and circulation details as the project moves forward.
Why it matters: The site plan advances a major capital investment—an elementary school sized for just under 1,000 students—intended to absorb expected residential growth in the Rye Ranch area and support school‑capacity planning across the district.
What’s next: The school district and developer will continue permitting and construction‑document submittals; staff will track traffic and circulation coordination with county transportation planners.
