Sarasota County Schools

🎉 EXCITING NEWS! 🎉 Sarasota County Schools has been officially recognized as one of 10 Academically High-Performing School District for the 2023-24 school year! This prestigious designation is awarded by the Florida Department of Education based on district and school grades, class size compliance, and financial audit reports. A huge thank you to our dedicated staff, students, and families for making this achievement possible. 🏆

Join the Sarasota County Schools Police Department for a spooktacular time at two special trick-or-treat events! On October 26th, from 4 to 6 PM, head to CenterPointe Church in Venice (1100 Center Road) for some Halloween fun. Then, on October 29th, from 5:30 to 8 PM, visit Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota (5851 Nathan Benderson Circle) for more treats and family-friendly activities. Both events offer a safe and fun environment for kids and families to enjoy. Don’t miss out on these exciting Halloween celebrations!

VOTE NOVEMBER 5: Did you know the referendum allows each student to receive an additional 30 minutes of instruction per school day, equaling 18 extra days of learning time per year! #YourSchoolsYourFuture Learn more: www.sarasotacountyschools.net/referendum

Yesterday, Superintendent Connor and Representative Fiona McFarland visited Gulf Gate Elementary and Ashton Elementary to welcome students back for the first time since Hurricane Milton. Representative McFarland, who reached out last weekend to offer her support, reaffirmed her commitment to ensuring students and staff return safely. During the visit, she listened to impactful stories from shelter managers, workers, and staff who were directly affected by the storm.

🌟 Mobile Food Pantry Alert! 🌟 Join us at Booker Middle School tomorrow, Tuesday, October 15, from 11 AM to 1 PM for a Mobile Food Pantry serving staff and families affected by Hurricane Milton. Please help us spread the word!

We know this is a challenging time for many of our families, and we are here to support you. Due to Hurricane Milton's significant disruptions to food supplies across Florida, we anticipate our school menus will be incorrect and/or different from the original menus advertised for the next few weeks. Our Food & Nutrition Services team will do their best to accommodate students with special dietary needs. We understand the challenges this situation may create for students with food allergies and diabetes — we encourage families to make supplemental arrangements to ensure their child’s dietary needs are fully met. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work through these difficult circumstances over the next few weeks. Once our food supply stabilizes, we will return to normal operations. Please contact Food & Nutrition Services with any concerns or questions at 941-486-2199. Thank you! Food & Nutrition Services, Sarasota County Schools

VOTE NOVEMBER 5: Voting Day is coming! Renewing the $114 million millage referendum will enable us to promote student achievement, attract and invest in high-quality educators, enrich learning experiences, elevate workforce education, and ensure safe and secure schools without raising taxes. How does the referendum work? Renewing the voter-approved referendum will not increase taxes. The 1 mill has been in place since 2002. For every $1,000 in-home assessment, there will be a $1 tax. (For example, on a home assessed at $300,000 with a $25,000 tax exemption, the tax will equate to $275.) Learn more: www.sarasotacountyschools.net/referendum

Sarasota County Schools Reopening Plan: We understand the upcoming week may present challenges for some families and employees. While we're eager to return to normal routines, our schools and systems need additional time to reset for full operations. If your family is facing circumstances preventing your child from returning to school for an extended period, please contact your school directly so we can ensure their educational needs are met. Schools will be closed Monday, October 14, and remain closed to students on Tuesday, October 15, although instructional and classified personnel will return to work. Students will resume classes on Wednesday, October 16, and Thursday, October 17, will be a regular school day. Friday, October 18, remains a Professional Day, with no school for students. Adjustments to the 2024-25 school year calendar are being finalized to account for recent closures. As many in our community still face challenges with power and resources, find local support and the full update at https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane.

Congratulations to Angel Rodriquez-Ortiz from @gulfgateelementaryscs for being named September’s Library Technician of the Month! Angel consistently goes above and beyond to support both students and staff, always stepping in to help wherever he’s needed. His dedication and willingness to serve make a positive impact across the entire school community. Thank you, Angel, for your hard work and commitment!

SCHOOLS CLOSED MONDAY OCTOBER 14: As we prioritize the safety and well-being of our students, families, teachers, and staff, all traditional public schools in Sarasota County will remain closed for students on Monday, October 14. We are working diligently to assess conditions and restore normal operations – we anticipate reopening school early to mid-week. We will share updates with employees & families via direct messaging daily as soon as new information becomes available. All updates will also be posted on social media, as many across the county are still without power and do not have access to stable communication. If your family is experiencing circumstances that may not allow your child to return to school for an extended period, we encourage you to contact your school directly. We are here to work with you to ensure your child’s educational needs are met during this time. We will continue to keep you updated on our progress with school reopening, and we appreciate your patience and understanding. Thank you for your continued resilience, support, and enduring commitment to our school communities. For all updates, please visit www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane.

All traditional public schools will remain closed on Thursday, October 10, and Friday, October 11, meaning schools are closed for the entire week (October 7-11). We will provide updates on school reopening after Hurricane Milton has passed, as our facilities team will need time to conduct countywide assessments to ensure that our schools and offices are safe for students, teachers, and staff to return. We have also received many questions about hurricane make-up days and whether the school year will need to be extended. Our district leadership team is working through possible solutions and will provide an update as soon as possible. Evacuation centers (school shelters) will open at 10 AM today (10/8). More information and updates are available at https://www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane.

TODAY is the last day to register to vote! www.sarasotavotes.gov/Voter-Information/Register-to-Vote #YourSchoolsYourFuture

SCHOOL CLOSED: All traditional public schools will be closed from Monday, October 7 through Wednesday, October 9! For more information visit, www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane.

TOMORROW, October 7, is the last day to register to vote! www.sarasotavotes.gov/Voter-Information/Register-to-Vote #YourSchoolsYourFuture

SCS Cares is all about celebrating the incredible people and moments in our schools that often go unnoticed. Have you seen someone go above and beyond? We want to hear about it! 💙✨Share your story with us! www.sarasotacountyschools.net/scscares

Welcome back for a Special Edition of the SCS In Tune Podcast. On this episode, Superintendent Terry Connor sits down with Sarasota County Schools Chief of Police Jacob Ruiz, Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman, City of Sarasota Police Chief Rex Troche, City of Venice Police Chief Charlie Thorpe, City of North Port Police Chief Todd Garrison, and nationally recognized school safety expert Mr. Tim Enos for an important discussion on school safety. In light of increasing threats against schools nationwide, this conversation is meant to provide information on the countywide collaborative efforts to keep students and staff safe here in Sarasota County. 👮‍♂️🚨 https://youtu.be/sPVQyPbYyEQ

✨ Happy National Custodian Day! From early mornings to late nights, they are making a big difference in the lives of our students and staff. Thank you for your hard work making our 6 MILLION+ square feet of learning space sparkle for every student, every day! 💫🧼

🎉 October is National Principals Month! 🎉 We’re celebrating the dedication, leadership, and passion of our incredible principals who make a difference every day. Thank you for all you do to support our students, staff, and communities!

Please be advised that the Information Technology department will be performing necessary maintenance on network servers on Friday, September 27th, from 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM. While we work to minimize any disruptions of service during these necessary maintenance periods, you may experience intermittent outages affecting various internal district platforms and services. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your patience as we work to improve the overall ecosystem of our infrastructure and network’s performance and reliability. If you have any questions or require assistance during these times, please contact the IT Help Desk. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

ALL SCHOOLS OPEN MONDAY, SEPT. 30: All traditional public schools & district offices will reopen as scheduled on Monday, September 30. Our teams are conducting inspections and working hard to clean up and make repairs over the weekend. Please note that school facilities remain closed today & through the weekend, with access limited to designated staff. As we start the week, please expect transportation delays. We’re aware that transportation could still be challenging in some areas. If your child’s bus stop is impacted or inaccessible, contact Transportation at 941-486-2141 or the OCC at 941-966-7233(SAFE). Thank you to all employees who supported our community at evacuation centers – your dedication means so much! 💙 Stay safe, and check our website and social media for further updates: www.sarasotacountyschools.net/hurricane.