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🍦School Budgets and LWR Restaurant Weeks
Best Things To Do in SRQ: 7/24 - 7/27
Carson B
July 22, 2025
Happy Tuesday, Sarasota!
We’re deep into the dog days of summer, but Sarasota still has a few fun happenings around town for when you’re done with the beach.
A big thank you to everyone that participated in last week’s poll. We had a tie between a guide to Sarasota’s Breweries & Home Service Vendors.
I’ll be working on these over the next few weeks. As Sarasota Scoop subscribers, you’ll get access as soon as they’re completed.
In today’s edition of the Sarasota Scoop:
Thanks for reading,
Carson
🧠 Think You Know Sarasota? Trivia!
Which well-known Sarasota County site includes a 4,000-year-old shell midden, pioneer homestead buildings, and formal gardens created by Bertha Palmer? |
📰 Local Headline Roundup
What It Really Costs to Live in Sarasota Right Now
United Way Suncoast’s new ALICE report lays out the real price tag for life around here. A Sarasota County family of four now needs $104,424 a year just to cover the basics, a ten percent jump since 2022. Over the bridge in Manatee the bare-minimum budget is $95,004, up eight percent.
Median incomes have not kept pace, so nearly 43 percent of Sarasota households and 42 percent of Manatee households sit below the ALICE threshold. Everyday costs sting too: Floridians spent an average $8,796 on groceries in 2023, while April median home prices reached $500,494 in Sarasota and $450,535 in Manatee
Despite all that, locals say the lifestyle and natural beauty are worth the squeeze.
Where Your School Tax Dollars Might Go
Sarasota County Schools are drafting a $748 million budget for 2025-26 that keeps one promise: put the classroom first. CFO Bonnie Penner says teacher raises, the new Skye Ranch K-8 campus and Superintendent Terry Connor’s district-wide Literacy for All program all stay, while a hiring freeze, unfilled vacancies and trimmed travel help offset shrinking state and federal dollars.
Even after the belt-tightening, the plan keeps a 9 percent fund balance and preserves Sarasota’s strong pay, with average teacher salaries already at $68,428 and a minimum set to hit $60,000 next year.
Class sizes may creep toward state caps of 18 in early grades, 22 in middle and 25 in high school, but officials insist small kindergarten rooms remain a top priority.
⭐️ Featured Event: Restaurant Week on The Ranch
Restaurant Week on The Ranch kicks off July 25 and runs through August 9. It’s two weeks of prix-fixe menus from 18 local restaurants — all designed to give you a real taste of what each spot does best.
If you’ve been meaning to check out a new place or want a low-stakes reason to revisit one you haven’t been to in a while, this is a great time. The pricing is straightforward, the portions are generous, and the menus are built for sampling.
It’s one of the easiest ways to explore the dining scene out east and maybe find a new favorite along the way.
These Are The Rolls-Royce Of Hearing Aids (And Under $100)
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Discover how these affordable hearing aids are changing the lives of people everyday.
Thursday
Mommy & Me at The Bay: Core & Cradle
📍Sarasota Garden Club | 🕦 9am | 🔗 details
Kids Wellness and Resource Day
📍Lincoln Park | 🕦 11am | 🔗 details
Veteran's Career Fair
📍Sarasota County Administration Building | 🕦 11am | 🔗 details
Art on Film | Museum Town
📍 1001 South Tamiami Trail, Sarasota | 🕦 2pm | 🔗 details
Local Artist Series
📍 Boca Boutique, Sarasota | 🕦 4pm | 🔗 details
Art After Five | Circus Night
📍 The Ringling Museum | 🕦 5pm | 🔗 details
Murder Mystery Trolley Tour: Who Killed the Circus Queen?
📍 1826 4th Street, Sarasota | 🕦 7:30pm | 🔗 details
Friday
Summer-ween Pottery Painting Party
📍8111 Lakewood Main Street | 🕦 5pm | 🔗 details
Friday Night Concert: Tomardo
📍Centennial Park, Venice | 🕦 7pm | 🔗 details
Live Music: Tropical Avenue
📍Stottlemyer's Smokehouse | 🕦 7pm | 🔗 details
Family Movie Night: The Bad Guys
📍The Oval, Sarasota | 🕦 7:30pm | 🔗 details
Sing-Along Trolley
📍1826 4th Street, Sarasota | 🕦 7:30pm | 🔗 details
Park at Dark - After Hours Mothing
📍 Urfer Family Park | 🕦 8pm | 🔗 details
Comedy Show: Basile
📍 McCurdey's Comedy Club | 🕦 Multiple shows | 🔗 details
Saturday
Sea Oat Planting (dune restoration)
📍Coquina Beach | 🕦 7am | 🔗 details
Family Art Making
📍The Ringling Museum | 🕦 7am | 🔗 details
Music on the Porch
📍Florida Maritime Museum | 🕦 2pm | 🔗 details
Tribute to the music of Journey/Styx
📍Sarasota Opera House | 🕦 7pm | 🔗 details
Sunday
Brunch at The Bay
📍The Nest, Sarasota | 🕦 8am | 🔗 details
Summer Movie Nights: Cars
📍CoolToday Park | 🕦 5pm | 🔗 details
PLAN AHEAD
Labor Day 77th Annual Regatta
📍See details | 📆 August 30th | 🔗 details
Beertopia
📍Manatee County Fair Grounds | 📆 August 23rd | 🔗 details
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