Lakewood Ranch Schools Guide: Public, Charter and Private

This guide covers the schools that serve Lakewood Ranch, Florida (Manatee and Sarasota counties). School zones change as new schools open, so always confirm the zoned schools for a specific address with the district before you buy or sign a lease.

Which school district serves Lakewood Ranch?

Your home’s county decides your school district: the School District of Manatee County in the northern part of Lakewood Ranch and Sarasota County Schools in the southern part. Lakewood Ranch is one community, but its schools are run by two separate districts with different calendars, boundaries and programs.

The developer’s July 2026 fact sheet counts 42 centers of learning in Lakewood Ranch: 15 preschools, 10 public schools, 7 private schools and 10 colleges. Most of the public schools inside the community belong to the Manatee district. Waterside, in the southern part of the community, is in Sarasota County.

Our village comparison lists the county for each village.

Which public and charter schools are in Lakewood Ranch?

The core Manatee public schools in and around Lakewood Ranch are McNeal, Willis, Gullett and Braden River elementaries, Nolan, Dr. Mona Jain and Braden River middle schools, and Lakewood Ranch High. Two public charter schools operate in the community as well.

School	Type	Grades	District	Recent state grade
Gilbert W. McNeal Elementary	Public	K to 5	Manatee	A since 2004 (as of 2025)
Robert E. Willis Elementary	Public	K to 5	Manatee	Check FLDOE
B.D. Gullett Elementary	Public	K to 5	Manatee	Check FLDOE
Braden River Elementary	Public	Elementary	Manatee	A (2025)
R. Dan Nolan Middle	Public	Middle	Manatee	A since 2006 (as of 2025)
Dr. Mona Jain Middle	Public	Middle	Manatee	Check FLDOE
Braden River Middle	Public	Middle	Manatee	A (2026, up from B)
Lakewood Ranch High	Public	9 to 12	Manatee	B (2026, down from A; A from 2012 through 2025)
Rangeland High	Public, opens August 2027	9 and 10 at opening	Manatee	New school
Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy	Public charter (Charter Schools USA)	K to 12	Manatee	Check FLDOE
Imagine Charter School Lakewood Ranch	Public charter	VPK to 8	Manatee	Check FLDOE
Tatum Ridge Elementary	Public	Elementary	Sarasota	Zoned for Waterside
McIntosh Middle	Public	6 to 8	Sarasota	Zoned for Waterside
Booker High	Public	9 to 12	Sarasota	Zoned for Waterside

State grades come from the Observer (2025 grades) and Tampa Bay Beacons (2026 grades); grade levels come from the School District of Manatee County. “Check FLDOE” means we did not confirm a current grade; look it up on the Florida Department of Education school grades page. This table is not a zoning map. A school appearing here does not mean it serves every Lakewood Ranch address.

How does school zoning work across two counties?

Each district assigns schools by home address, so the only reliable answer comes from the district’s own lookup for the exact address. Neighbors on either side of a county line can attend completely different schools.

• Manatee County. The School District of Manatee County has a residential attendance zone and school locator tool under its enrollment pages. It also lists controlled open enrollment.
• Sarasota County. Sarasota County Schools assigns schools by address too. As one example, the Observer reported in January 2026 that Waterside homes are zoned for Tatum Ridge Elementary (about 6 miles away), McIntosh Middle (about 7.6 miles) and Booker High (about 11.8 miles).

Distance is worth checking. Some Sarasota-side villages are several miles from their zoned schools, which affects bus rides and your morning drive.

What new schools are coming to Lakewood Ranch?

Manatee County’s Rangeland High School opens in August 2027, while Sarasota County has pushed back plans for a school at Waterside.

• Rangeland High School is the Manatee district’s eighth high school. The $144 million, 85-acre campus sits at Rangeland Parkway and Post Boulevard near Premier Sports Campus. It will open with 9th and 10th graders in August 2027 and add grades in later years, according to the Observer. Expect boundary changes for some Manatee high schoolers when it opens.
• A Sarasota County elementary school at Waterside was in the district’s 2025-2026 capital plan with a $77 million budget, but the district is reevaluating the need, and in January 2026 a district facilities official told the Observer it will likely be pushed back at least one or two years. A K-12 school on district land in Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park is not in the current five-year plan.

What charter schools serve Lakewood Ranch?

Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy and Imagine Charter School Lakewood Ranch are tuition-free public charter schools that enroll by application. Both are part of the Manatee district.

Lakewood Ranch Preparatory Academy opened in August 2022 on White Eagle Boulevard and is run by Charter Schools USA. The district lists it as serving kindergarten through 12th grade, with a lower campus and a separate high school building. When it opened, the Observer reported about 1,500 applications for roughly 740 seats, so waitlists are common.

Imagine Charter School Lakewood Ranch, at 10535 Portal Crossing, serves VPK through 8th grade, according to the district’s charter directory.

Charter schools set their own application windows and often use a lottery when they have more applicants than seats. Apply in the winter before the school year you want, and check each school’s site for its dates.

What private schools are near Lakewood Ranch?

The developer counts 7 private schools in Lakewood Ranch, and the best known is The Out-of-Door Academy, whose middle and upper school campus is in the community.

Private school	Grades	Location
The Out-of-Door Academy, Uihlein Campus	6 to 12	5950 Deer Drive, Sarasota (in Lakewood Ranch)
The Out-of-Door Academy, Lower School on Clark Road	Pre-K to 5	11011 State Road 72, Sarasota
The Out-of-Door Academy, Historic Siesta Key Campus	Pre-K to 5	444 Reid Street, Sarasota

Source: The Out-of-Door Academy. For the other private schools in and near the community, ask the developer or the school directly and confirm grades and programs, since offerings change.

Private school admissions usually open in the fall for the following school year, with decisions in late winter or spring. If you are moving mid-year, call admissions offices early; some grades fill quickly.

Can Florida scholarships help pay for private school?

Yes. Florida’s private school scholarships are available to every student eligible for K-12 public school, regardless of household income. Step Up For Students, which administers the programs, says the private school scholarship averages about $8,000. There is also a Personalized Education Program for homeschoolers and a Unique Abilities Scholarship for students with certain diagnoses. Applications for 2026-27 are open, and families should apply as soon as they know they are moving.

How should I choose a home based on schools?

Pick the schools first, confirm the zoning with the district, then shop for homes inside that zone. A few practical tips:

1. Look up the zoned schools for every address you are serious about, not just the village.
2. Ask the district whether boundaries are under review, especially with Rangeland High opening in 2027.
3. Visit schools while they are in session, if you can.
4. Consider the commute to school, sports and activities. See our guide to moving to Lakewood Ranch with kids.

For the bigger picture, see the complete guide to moving to Lakewood Ranch, our new-resident checklist and the real estate hub for help finding a home in the right zone.