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Sarasota Magazine

Education

Suncoast Searchlight

New College Foundation Votes to Dissolve Alumni Association Despite Objections

Critics and other community members argued the move would eliminate an independent alumni voice and further divide the college, which was transformed in recent years under Gov. Ron DeSantis.

07/30/2026 By Francesca Abarca/Suncoast Searchlight and Gabriela Szymanowska/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

Three Open School Board Seats Could Change the Direction of Sarasota County Schools

Seven candidates are vying for the three open seats on the Sarasota County School Board.

07/27/2026 By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

New College Foundation Seeks to Dissolve School's Alumni Association

The Foundation’s board is scheduled to vote on the changes Wednesday, and if approved, alumni leaders will convene to seek potential legal action.

07/27/2026 By Gabriela Szymanowska/Suncoast Searchlight

From the Editor

Goodbye to USF Sarasota-Manatee—and New College

Instead of having two strong institutions serving our region, we lost both to politics. 

07/01/2026 By Susan Burns

The New New College

John Oliver Takes Aim at New College of Florida

"It's not going great," the late-night host said of the political takeover and institutional upheaval that have transformed New College's campus since 2023.

06/08/2026 By Kendall Southworth

Politics

USF Sarasota-Manatee Will Be Transferred to New College

That's despite major public outcry from the public, business leaders and state and national legislators.

05/26/2026 By Megan McDonald and Susan Burns

Education

The Fate of University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Will Be Decided Soon

Business organizations and community leaders are urging lawmakers to save USF-SM instead of handing the campus to New College of Florida.

05/07/2026 By Susan Burrns

Suncoast Searchlight

Sarasota County Schools to Cut Teachers as Vouchers Divert Millions From District

The cuts—which could disproportionately affect first-year teachers—have rattled an A-rated district long seen as stable, fueling frustration among educators and parents.

04/03/2026 By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Update

The Florida Senate Pulls Back on USF Sarasota-Manatee Transfer

The Senate Appropriations Committee adopted a “delete everything” amendment on the plan to transfer campus facilities to New College of Florida.

03/05/2026 By Susan Burns

It Ain’t Over Yet

Supporters Rally to Save the University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee From New College’s Proposed Takeover

The proposal (HB 5601) has already been approved by the House’s Higher Education Budget Subcommittee. So far, the Senate has not included the transfer in its bill. Local leaders urge citizens to act fast to oppose it.

02/26/2026 By Susan Burns

Popular Content

    New College Foundation Votes to Dissolve Alumni Association Despite Objections

    Three Open School Board Seats Could Change the Direction of Sarasota County Schools

    John Oliver Takes Aim at New College of Florida

    Goodbye to USF Sarasota-Manatee—and New College

    Dr. Lisa Butler Grain Is Creating a New Generation of Leaders

    Inside New College of Florida’s Radical Transformation

Education

Will USF Sarasota-Manatee Disappear?

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to give New College the USF Sarasota-Manatee campus, but local leaders, businesspeople, students and faculty plan to speak out at a Feb. 25 meeting.

02/19/2026 By Elizabeth Djinis

New School

Ringling College Names Davis Schneiderman As Its Next President

Schneiderman will take over June 1, succeeding longtime president Larry Thompson, who is stepping down after 27 years.

01/23/2026 By Kim Doleatto

Suncoast Searchlight

After Sarasota County Schools’ ICE Vote, Questions Remain About Enforcement on Campuses

Despite the outcry, board members voted 3 to 2 to pass the measure, committing to “full cooperation and collaboration” with ICE.

01/23/2026 By Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight

Education

Florida's School Voucher Program Is in the Hot Seat Again

Among other problems, between $1 million and $2 million dollars went to scammers who created fraudulent accounts for fictitious students in order to receive funds. 

01/21/2026 By Megan McDonald and Lauren Jackson

Stats

Sarasota County School Vouchers and Their Impacts

The state-funded scholarships have cut enrollment in public schools, which decreases state funding for each district, affecting teachers, administrators and students..

11/04/2025 By Lauren Jackson

School Style

Architect M. Leo Elliott Designed Four Iconic Sarasota Schools in 1926 and 1927

Elliott was a well-known Tampa architect.

11/03/2025 By Jeff LaHurd

Suncoast Searchlight

Most Suncoast Lawmakers Quiet as Charter School Expansion Fuels Local Upheaval

The same lawmakers who voted earlier this year to let charter schools move into underused public campuses have stayed quiet as a Miami-based charter operator’s early push to occupy local schools set off confusion and concern among parents and educators.

10/20/2025 By McKenna Oxenden/Suncoast Searchlight and Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight

Suncoast Searchlight

‘Hostile Takeover’: Charter Operator Files to Occupy Three Sarasota Schools

In three nearly identical two-page notices, the charter school laid out plans for takeovers at Brookside Middle, Emma E. Booker Elementary School and Oak Park School, a K-12 campus that serves students with disabilities.

10/09/2025 By Derek Gilliam/Suncoast Searchlight, Alice Herman/Suncoast Searchlight, and Josh Salman/Suncoast Searchlight

Water World

Mote's New Science Education Aquarium Is Open

Years in the making, the $132 million facility includes 1 million gallons of aquatic exhibitions, including  sharks and stingrays, manatees, otters, penguins, a giant octopus, sharks, otters and more, plus three state-of-the-art STEM teaching labs.

10/08/2025 By Megan McDonald Videography by Joshua Bodkin

Room to Breathe

At Booker Elementary, Revamped Sensory and Motor Rooms Offer Students a Way to Rest and Reset

The updated rooms give children short breaks to regulate their nervous systems so they can return to class ready to learn—tools that many schools struggle to provide.

09/25/2025 By Kim Doleatto

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July-August 2026

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