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Sarasota County Schools review $103.6M Sky Ranch opening, $175M high school and other capital projects
Summary
District officials presented updates on major capital projects including the recently opened Sky Ranch ($103.6M), an ongoing $175M high school rebuild and an $80M elementary replacement; the district also previewed a $23.5M STC expansion funded in part by a $7.5M resiliency grant.
Dr. Michael Kidd, chief operations officer for Sarasota County Schools, presented a summary of district capital projects and partnerships at the convocation of governments, highlighting recently completed and in-progress construction across the county.
"We finalized it at a 100, a $103,600,000 project for Sky Ranch," Dr. Kidd said, summarizing the elementary opening and its first-year enrollment. He described Sky Ranch as a multiuse facility with STEAM programming, community partnerships with Mote Marine and the University of Florida, and an anticipated expansion to add grade 7 next year (projected enrollment near 970 students).
Kidd said the Welland Park High School project is under way with a budget near $175,000,000 and is on schedule; he described the campus as a modern facility intended for advanced STEM, arts and career/technical programs. An $80,000,000 replacement for Garden (transcript: also referenced as Darden) Elementary is in construction with redistricting to begin in February and an anticipated 2027 opening, he said.
The district also described a North Port High campus refresh, including a roughly $101,000,000 HVAC and science renovation package, and an STC North Port expansion budgeted at $23.5 million that includes a reported $7.5 million resiliency grant partnership. Kidd said the STC expansion is in design with construction anticipated to start in 2026 and complete by 2029, and that it will expand CTE offerings such as automotive, welding and medical programs.
Kidd emphasized intergovernmental cooperation: multiple municipalities and the county contributed to site access, road work and other infrastructure to open Sky Ranch on time and under budget. He closed by offering the facilities team for follow-up questions and tours.
The presentation moved to a brief Q&A about projected capacities and construction siting; no formal approvals were taken at the convocation.
