Sarasota County families have until Monday, July 27, to register for school bus transportation before the start of the 2026-27 school year.

Students who do not have an active bus assignment by the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 10, will need to be transported by a parent or guardian until a route is assigned, according to Sarasota County Schools. The district said late transportation requests require at least 48 hours to process.

Families can already view bus routes through the district's new My Ride K-12 app, which replaces the former Where's The Bus platform. Beginning this school year, students also will scan their student IDs when boarding and exiting school buses. New identification cards will be distributed on the first day of school.

School supply drive to support classrooms across the county

As families prepare for the new school year, teachers across Sarasota County's 57 schools will receive additional classroom supplies through the annual A Day of Giving school supply drive on Thursday, Aug. 6.

The event is a partnership between Carl Reynolds Law, ABC 7 and Sarasota County Schools. Donations of school supplies and monetary contributions will go directly to classrooms throughout the district. The organizations launched the first A Day of Giving campaign in 2025.

The drive will run from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Two drive-thru donation sites available

Drive-thru donation stations will be open throughout the day at two Carl Reynolds Law offices:

  • Sarasota: 3030 S. Tamiami Trail
  • Venice: 389 Commercial Court, Suite C

ABC 7 personalities will broadcast live from both locations during the event, according to the district.

District shares classroom wish list

The district is seeking donations of:

  • Backpacks
  • No. 2 pencils
  • Crayons and colored pencils
  • Composition notebooks
  • Loose-leaf paper
  • Pocket folders and binders
  • Dry-erase markers
  • Highlighters
  • Rulers
  • Scissors
  • Calculators
  • Tissues
  • Disinfecting wipes
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Water bottles

Monetary donations also will be accepted.

Key back-to-school dates for families

The first important deadline is Monday, July 27, when school bus transportation registration closes. Families can confirm their transportation assignment through the My Ride K-12 app.

The A Day of Giving school supply drive follows on Thursday, Aug. 6, with drive-thru donations accepted for 15 hours at both locations.

The district's complete Back-to-School Guide, including grade-level school supply lists, is available on the Sarasota County Schools website.