Rowlett Elementary Academy has been proudly serving the families of Manatee County (and beyond) as a free-public charter school since 2014 and before that as a public elementary school. In 2017, Rowlett Middle Academy opened its doors, just minutes down the road and is recognized as a “A” school as designated by the FLDOE, as well as a “High Performing Charter School. Additionally, both campuses have been recognized for excellence by the local community, with Rowlett Elementary being named “Best Elementary School” and Rowlett Middle being named “Best Middle School,” as well as K-8 recognition as “Best Charter School” in the “Bradenton’s Best” awards… for three years in a row!
Both campus locations are dedicated to helping young people become creative leaders, who excel in both the arts, communication, and academics. K-5 Students at Rowlett Elementary Academy receive multiple sessions of Spanish-language instruction each week. Children also rotate through special courses including the traditional PE and Art, but also more specialized courses such as Chorus/Beginning Band, Dance, Drama, Technology, and Digital Media. 4th and 5th graders can further specialize in one of the courses above or choose from expanded offerings including Strings and Film, that they attend 3 days a week, allowing them to truly master their craft. 6-8 Students at Rowlett Middle Academy dive deeper into award-winning performance offerings such as Jazz Band, Orchestra, Vocal Ensembles, Guitar, Theatre, Dance, etc. Our Film and Technology programs help students develop as 21st-century learners, with our film program being nationally recognized in the All-American High School Film Festival and our Technology Student Association winning several awards at the national competition.
In addition to school-day physical education offerings, RMA also offers a variety of team sports including flag football, basketball, cross country, volleyball, golf, and more. Many of our teams have reached their league Championship games as well!
Rowlett Elementary Academy proudly offers a special “Discovery” class for gifted and advanced learners, where students in grades 1-5 explore technology and develop critical thinking skills, as well as advanced math offerings. Rowlett Middle Academy offers gifted courses 6-8 along with advanced academic offerings. Middle school students also have the opportunity to earn High School credits with courses such as Spanish I and II, Algebra I, Geometry, Applied Engineering Technology, and English I Honors.
The staff members of Rowlett Academy K-8 are committed to differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students, utilizing best-practices and the Florida Standards to guide instruction. Further, we believe that students learn best when the arts are integrated into academics. Our campuses regularly host visiting artists through a partnership with the University of South Florida.
Rowlett Academy K-8 is committed to developing young people as leaders. Both campus locations have a designated block of the day devoted to studying the 7 Habits of highly-effective young people. Rowlett Elementary Academy has been designated as a “Lighthouse School” by the Covey organization and both campuses are “Leader in Me” Schools. Our students are encouraged to take on leadership roles around campus, but also in the community. Whether partnering with a local organization to host a special event, marching in local parades, or simply demonstrating kindness, Rowlett students can always be spotted making a positive impact on their world.
Additionally, thanks to our dedicated Rowlett Family Association and fundraising initiatives, we are proud to be able to offer free enrichment classes and tutoring after school, allowing students to explore topics such as coding, tap dancing, strings, even LEGO building! We also offer opportunities such as our Student Lighthouse Leadership Team (K-8) and Student Council (6-8), as well as the Technology Student Association (5, 6-8), Kids Bank (K-5) and National Junior Honor Society (6-8).
We invite you to DISCOVER why Rowlett Academy K-8 is consistently amongst the most chosen schools in Manatee County. Our choice period is January 10 - February 7, 2025 at 4:00 PM. Tour registration is available in December 2024, so please visit our websites for more information.
In order to apply, community members must attend a tour and/or open house event… we want you to experience all of the amazing aspects of our school campuses. Please refer to campus-specific application requirements on our websites:
K-5 Elementary Campus: https://rowlettelementaryacademy.org/apply/
6-8 Middle Campus: http://rowlettmiddleacademy.org/apply/
